I am rather sad today. I took Bebe my 11 year old cat tot he vet’s yesterday for her checkup and I indicated to her vet that Bebe has lost weight over the last year. In fact she lost 2 lbs since last spring. Her heart rate was very tachycardic and the vet alos heard a heart mumur. Lab work was conducted and it indicated that my beloved Bebe has hyperthyroidism. This can be a serious issue for older cats, causing damage to her heart, liver and kidneys……poor Bebe. I feel so guilty of not taking her to the vet’s sooner…so today I am beating myself up over the situation. My vet prescribed Methinazole .5ml twice daily. My cat hates medication. The only other options are surgery to remove her thyroid tumor or take her to Boston for a radioactive injection that cost’s over $1500. I chose the medication as an alternative for now. I’ll take her back in 3 weeks for repeat lab to see if there is any improvement yet.
Upon this diagnosis my heart sank…my poor Bebe….why her? Only God knows….I guess that I will pray for her health to be restored.
According to some information I have reviewed these are the facts!
Cat Diseases and Illnesses—Hyperthyroidism
A common feline disease among adult and senior cats, hyperthyroidism is caused by the excessive production of hormones by an enlarged thyroid gland. This cat health condition may lead to the development of heart disease and can affect kidney function.
Treatments for hyperthyroidism include radioactive iodine and surgical removal of the thyroid gland.
Please pray for my kitty!
We are going out of town for 10 days and were wondering if there is an alternative to the twice dailey doses we give our cat of mathinazole.
My cat also has hyperthyroidism and I have her medication in a gel format which I apply daily to her inner ear. It’s a very simple process which she does not mind. Thought this may be an alternative to the pills that you currently use.
My 13yr old cat also has hyperthyroidism. the surgery was too expensive for us, so we opted for the pills. He was NOT happy about taking them, and we found him to be quite sedated, & not himself. By 5 weeks of this he had not gained any weight at all. We opted to stop the pills, now he is his much more chipper self, but still very skinny. I have just ordered ‘Resthyro’ from petwellbeing.com. They are liquid drops. It’s a natural remedy…when they arrive, we hope they work! The gel mentioned above sounds good too.
We have tried resthyro and thyroid soothe as opposed to the conventional drugs. Our cat of 14 years is in the early stages of hyperthyroid. Both preparations helped. We tried thyroid soothe first and it improved his behavior and activity at night. His stool is solid. We tried resthyro next and he has been on that for about three weeks. This also is keeping the symptoms under control. Some people have hasd good luck with these products but they may be treating the symptom and not the cause. I will have my cat tested for Free T4 levels to see if that has improved. I wish you luck
Hi Bob,
Just wondering if you got the results from the follow up T4 level tests. I am considering switching my cat to resthyro soon. My cat’s immune system goes down with the methimesol…
Thanks!
hey susan what happen to your cat? my cat now has hyper thyroid and meds making her sick. i don’t know what to do….
My cat also has it. I use the cream on the ears. She is on a raw meat diet (chicken tenders cut up,cut up chicken necks,chicken livers,egg yokes) and has gained back weight. Like with people-it is all about the food they eat. Cats in the wild would be eating mice, birds, etc.-not dry corn filled cat food! Read up on it and find out just how bad pet food is for your cat. The manufacturers could care less what it does to your little loved ones….
I was told by my vet never to feed necks..as they can contain thyroids and make the situation worse
I hope BeBe is doing well. My 12-year old cat has also just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Sometimes its hard to tell what is going on so don’t be too hard on yourself.
My partner and I are trying to decide what the best treatment for our kitty. She is another one who would not be happy taking regular pills so we are looking into the Resthyro as an alternative. Has anyone tried that yet?
Also what is the ear gell? My vet only mentioned pills.
Thanks all, jamie
Transdermal is the same medication that is in pill form but is a lot easier to get your kitty to take. You just rub it in their little hairy ear. My vet did not mention it as an alternative either. I had to specifically ask about it. My Calliejo is 17 and has renal failure, however, she is doing teriffic on the transdermal. Recent bloodwork (including kidney values) came back better than normal. I am thrilled! I have been lucky to have her for so long. I feel blessed every day.
Hi to Calliejo’s Mom, your cat sounds most similar to mine. Dottie lost three pounds in a matter of a few months due to hyperthyroidism. She is just 16 and in stage 2 of kidney disease. She is having a hard time with the pill and I am beside myself because I am afraid she’s spitting it up when I’m not looking. Her behavior was subdued the first week and now she’s back acting nutty on the kitchen counter, which never in all her years had she done before. I want to try the resthyro but I feel it’s best to stbailize her weight and behavior now. It’s encouraging to know your cat’s thyroid and kidney values came back better. I am worried about the effect of the meds on her kidneys. I would love to know how your little one is doing now. thanks!
Jamie,
My wife and I wanted to stay away from the drugs and their side effects . We used both resthyro and throid soothe and each appeared to have helped. The cat drinks lest water, doesn’t act crazy at night. His stool is solid and eats normally. He hasn’t lost weight and appears to be heathy and restful. A number of peple have had good luck using the products but keep your vet informed and weigh your cat every so often to isure that he is not losing weight. Good luck.
One of my cats came home today after spending the last two days at the vet. He was also diagnosed with hyperthroidism and mild pancreatis. He always has been a little hyper but I just thought it was his personaility. I took him to the vet because he had been throwing up for a few days. I was given medication including Methimazole, something to help the vomiting and an antibiotic. The vet was concerned because he hasn’t been eating but at the vet they were giving him fluids. He has bee voimiting clear liquids since coming home. I’m afraid he isn’t tolerating the medication. I would like to try the Resthyro but I in the mean time I don’t know what to do.
I am in the process of looking into the resthyro alternative. But for those commenters whose cats don’t like the pill form of methimezole there is a solution: I go to a special pharmacy which crushes the pills and mixes it in with a special liquid with tuna flavor. I use .5 ml dropper and she takes it willingly. In the beginning she even licked it… I have not tried putting it in her food because it works from the dropper. Needs to be kept in refrigerator. The pharmacy I use is the one in Cambridge, MA called Skendarian. It can be expensive, about $75 for a bottle, but at .5 ml a day it lasts for several months, perhaps 3-4…
I’ve been using a transderm thryoid medication for my cat,but would perfer a more natural product.Has anyone noticed a improvement in their cat’s health.If so how long did it seem to take?
I am also struggling with what treatment to use for
my cat. The pills have so many side effects and
Porsche is 15. The gel sounds like a good alternative, what is it called? I have been looking for Resthyro drops on line but I could only fine one
supplier and that causes a little concern. If someone has used the drops, would you share the place where you ordered them?
this works for my cat. its NHV brand, restthyro
Can you give us some more detail about your experiences? What positive changes have you seen in your cat’s health? Thanks!
our milty boy is 16 and was diagnosed with hyperthyroid, we are using the ear gel but last visit the level was still high, he went through short periods of difficulty swallowing, and back legs went very weak, and he laid on his side, lasted about 30 minutes. any similar symptoms from cat lovers. he is our oldest of 7 cats and a real dear, he is happy, spoiled and loves us.
We have 2 kitties, one 13 y/o recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, the other with crystals in her bladder…We changed their diet on 1/4/08 to something more like their natural diet and this weekend we’re moving to a completely raw diet by Primal Pet…RE: hyperthyroid meds…we tried the liquid, & tried the pill both do not work for our cat. I ordered the transderm from the vet but would really like to know if anyone out there has had proven results from the natural Resthyro??? Please advise asap.
Thanks,
Chela, Dave, Mu and the Brown Cat
Hi, I too am desperate for help. My “Baby” who is 14 has just been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. I have been searching and searching for a medicine with no dramatic side effects and came across the Resthyro. How exactly is this administered and would deeply appreciate anything you can offer as to side effects, etc. Please help asap. Thank you.
Resthyro is in a liquid form and is given at a dosage of 1 drop per every two pound of wieght. We used both resthyro and thro soothe which both worked so far. First we used TS and then we tried resthyro. we put both preparations in his wet catfood and mixed it up. He ate both with not problem and resthyro is easier to administer. It appears we will get about three month out of a bottle. Their is a blog called Cat Tales that is documenting her use of resthyro and the cats slow improvement. Keep weigh you can to insure that his weight is stable . Keep you vet informed of what you are using as well. good lock
Hello, my cat has just been diagnosed with this terrible disease and I am devastated. Desperate for help, been searching the Internet for treatments without severe side effects and have not been successful. My vet recommended the Transdermal Gel but when I looked it up on the Internet I was not thrilled with the side effects. Baby is 14/15 years old and don’t want to put her through any more distress. If it caused vomiting and she is already very thin, I am sure that won’t be helpful. Wwas wondering if anyone can give me the heads up on Resthyro. Has anyone tried it and how exactl is it administered. Please respond. Desperate in PA. Thank you. Marie
read my reply for the herbals above.
Resthyro saved my cat’s life. Originally diagnosed last summer with hyerthyroidism, we tried the pills (which she was allergic to). Switched to the transdermal gel in the ears, which she tolerated only a few short weeks. Surgery and radioactive iodine treatments were out of the question for Millie (age 15). A friend recommended petwellbeing.com and Millie has been on the Resthyro for 7 months. She has gained back some weight, vomits less and is quite active again. I am amazed how quickly this natural product worked and grateful for her recovery. She is not 100% but is much healthier than a year ago. She is also on a raw food diet (moist food) and organic dry food. Hope this info helps those interested.
i have tried making homemade raw food for my cat. i put chicken thighs, chicken livers, chicken hearts and gizards and put it in the processor. i was suppose to put in some ground chicken thigh bone, but didnt have one. anyway my cat ate it up.
but realized that this recipe needed supplements in it too. i found frozen raw food by “primal foods” and my cat seemed to eat it up the first day, but i didn’t gradually give it to him. and he got really sick. tried giving him just a tiny bit yesterday with his regualar food and he threw up last night. im looking for suggestions on a good food diet, not to hard to do. my cat has hyperthyroidism too and is on resthyro.
i need to put weight back on him.
thanks
Mine has been eating a diet of mostly proteins…cooked turkey, fish or chicken, with some wet cat food (newmsns own) and a bit of whiska’s enriched cat milk to which i add a bit of multivitamin. Been giving her this for about a week now, weight is stable. She rest much more now, since begining the rethyro i think that helps her weight.
I d.k if this helps, but I notice also that she is eating a bit of hard food as well the past few days and not throwing up.
HOpe this helps.
Crystal
Just got a pre-hyperthyroidism diagnosis on my 14 year old Carrot Top and waiting for the final test results but I expect them to confirm. What can I feed this cat to get some weight on him? What does a raw food diet consist of? He is all bones. Thanks.
be careful if you introduce him to frozen raw food at first. i gave my cat this more than i should and he threw up that night. im trying to find other ways. kinda scared of this new raw diet. i know it is good for him. but cant bare to see him getting sick. im slowly giving it to him but just not sure if it suits him.
Do the Resthyro drops work, my cat is thin and losing hair and has very loose stools, has been on meds for 1 year and is worse, I want to try the Resthyro. Please let me know if anyone has tried these for HypoT
THANKS
I just was the post by Julie- Do this taste bad, do you put the drops in her food? My cat is fussy, can;t put them in her mouth-HELP
put the drops in the food, it has a sweet taste. they lap it up with food.
i didn’t know cats can have that also. hmmm…. your cat and i have something in common… hyperthyroidism. 😦
My Kitty Cat (about 13 yrs old) has lived with diabetes for 8 years and recently was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism as well. Since we cannot afford the surgery or more medications, I decided to try Resthyro hoping it would be our “miracle cure”…much to my dismay, after being on it for about a month and a half, she has gotten worse. She’s lost more weight and muscle (no matter how much she eats) and can barely keep herself standing up. It could be that we caught it too late, or the diabetes is interfering with her recovery. Either way, sadly, I’m afraid her days are numbered, I’m not saying that Resthyro doesn’t work, but I think all situations will be different based on your cat’s condition. Good luck!
Hello All,
We notice at Pet Wellbeing of the little thread going on here.
First we would like to give our warmest regards to you and you feline friends who are going through this difficult time.
Also since there seems to be some questions about the product and peoples experiences. So I though I would point you in the direction of those things on our site so you don’t have to waste time searching.
Product info:
http://www.petwellbeing.com/cat-hyperthyroid-p89.cfm
A few customer testimonials:
http://www.petwellbeingblog.com/2008/01/resthyro-testimonials.html
Many of our customers have had very good results with Resthyro and we hope if you decide to try it that you have the same good results.
Best Regards,
David
Petwellbeing.com
Pet Well Being is very good when they are TAKING your order and YOUR MONEY however if you need follow-up afterward their customer service is deplorable. Supervisors are cruel and dishonest, particularly Anna Judge. While their products may bring some result they put their consumer through a painful process in the midst of trying so very hard to restore a dear, sweet pet’s health THUS causing pain for the pet, as well. We phoned Dr. Huntingford and the President of Pet Well Being, Darcy Foster, to no avail. Dr. Huntingford’s assistant, Dawn, acted in a condescending manner when we indicated the nature of our call – said, “Dr. Huntingford is very busy” (?) A vet that endorses products and then refuses to aid the consumer/pet owner with a problem is unethical and unprofessional. Further, the President, Darcy Foster has a stable of people who run interference, who are NO HELP, and who block a flow of viable information to him.
PET WELL BEING – honor the commitment which you have made to a consumer which will bring the much needed relief to our pet!!!!!!
Return our call Dr. Huntingford and Darcy Foster!
I have also found a site that has a very similar product called “Only Natural Pet Thyroid Wellness Feline” that is alot less expensive, for those of us with tighter budgets. The ingrediants seem to be very similar, hopefully it works as well. We are going to try this product out. If anyone else has ever tried this, please let us know how it worked for your pet. You can go to this site and check it out yourself. Paste this address in your browser window to read up on it: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Thyroid-Wellness-Feline/999174.aspx
Bye the way…cat Bebe is doing great on her meds (methimozole), she may need an adjustment next month.
I need some help – I just lost my first cat at age 11 to cancer on Feb.9.08 and not 2 weeks later found out that my little calico age 9 is hyperthyroid and probably has been for at least the past 6 months. Never a large cat (8 lbs) she is now just under 6 lbs. After over 12000 on vet bills for my cat that passed, any other therapy other than medication – is out of the question plus she is a high risk for surgery and radiation due to her size and the stress on the kidneys and liver and heart. We put her on thyroid medication only to find out that it caused her to become anemic – a 1 in 1000 reaction to this drug. So daily I clean up bouts of diahrea and vomiting and listen to her cry while she gets smaller and weaker. I am desparate to find something that might work. I noticed that there are some who tried Resthyro and I figure I really don’t have much to lose but was also wondering if the raw food diet helped specifically by itself or if in combination with other modalities. Please let me know if you have any information not already enclosed in this thread – Luci-lu may not have much time left…. tku
For those who have to get methimazole, I have search many websites for the best price… this med is also prescribes for humans who have a hyperthyroid, beleave it or not. So I called a few pharmacies, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens. Walgreens asked if this was for a cat and I said yes.. she then said she got this plan for her own cat through Walgreens. It cost $20 per YEAR. With this plan, there are many meds u can get for CHEAP. My methimazole for my cat cost me $12.99 for 90 tablets. No, this is not a mistake. So if u figure the $20 cost for the “discount plan” (not an insurance plan), and the $12.99 it is still cheaper then the 39/tablet through another online vet pharmacy…My vet was charging me about $1.00 per pill. So if your cat can tolorate the meds, I find that this is the cheapest way to go. I crush it with just a teaspoon full of “wellness brand” pate cat food to make sure he eats it all. U don’t want to put the pill in a large amount of food, u won’t know if they ate the whole pill, so just serve it with a little amount.. Hope this helps in ref to Price. And I wish all the cats out there “better health”
I don’t seem to be able to locate any info on the Walgreen pet medication plan you mention. Anyone have any info on that? My baby has just joined the ranks of those diagnosed with hyperthyroid and I am seeking the best solutions. Thank you.
Hi, Sorry to hear your cat has the same problem.
First of all, go on the Walgreen site
http://www.walgreens.com/?ext=goobrand+walgreens1
– then in the “search” section, type in “Prescription Savings Club”… and it will come up… Good luck with your kitty…
My 14 year old cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism recently. I tried the pills and after 12 days she experienced the side effects, lethargy, vomiting, then diarrhea. I took her off the pills and now she’s on the transdermal (inside the ear). I’m at 11 days on that and she’s now started vomiting. I’m unsure it’s related as she’s been grooming a lot and these appear to be hairballs. So I’m going to give it another week and then see the vet to check her levels. But I’ve made the decision that if this doesn’t work to take her off the meds completely and let her be the happy-go-lucky kitty that she is and whatever happens, happens. I can’t bare to see her lethargic, with vomiting and diarrhea the rest of her life. And my unique circumstance is that she has no colon, it was removed two years ago after a diagnosis of megacolon. She came out of that with flying colors but she’s on very specific food as well so a change in diet is not an alternative for me. I’m going to research further the natural meds as well. And a tip for those of you giving pills to your cats. There is a wonderful implement called a “pet piller”. It’s a small, thin plastic tube available from the vet. I recommend the smaller ones versus the giant ones at the pet stores. You load the pill into the piller then insert in the mouth to the back and the plunger shoots the pill to the back of the throat where the natural gag reflex will allow the cat to consume with no problems. I have been successful at administering pills for many years with this. Good luck to all of you and God Bless.
My 16 year old Merlin has been losing weight for a while – though nothing drastic in an older pet. But then he started suffering from BAD diarrhea (squirts is a better term for it) for about a month so we had the vet run a CBC. Everything came back normal except he has a slightly elevated T4 level. It’s so slight that the vet prescribed 1/2 of a methimazole tab once a day. He’s only been on it for one day now, but I’m hoping it works. I was wondering if anyone else has tried simply changing the diet to one that is totally gluten free and if this helps at all?
I wish everyone well with their hyperthroidism treatment. I am devastated! My 15 year old cat, Sammy was diagnosed with hyperthroidism. He wanted to eat constantly and was still loosing weight, he drank excessive amounts of water and urinated frequently. His behavior was also irratic. I knew nothing about hyperthroidism and unfortunately didn’t read up about it until it was to late. I started him on the medication that was recommended by the Dr. and he hated it! The methimazole was a very bitter tasting little pill that I had to hide in his food or in a treat in order to get him to take it. It didn’t take him long for him to figure out what I was doing and he absolutely refused to eat anything! No one told me about this gel you can rub in the ear. This might have been a fabulous alternative. To make a long story short, I feel so guilty! Poor Sammy did not tolerate the medication! I understand that he may have been allergic to the medication or maybe the dose was to high? Who knows. After almost a week of refusing to eat he had to be put down. I know that the pills help many cats, but not all can tolerate them. If only I had stopped the pill immediately when I noticed a problem getting him to eat or had known about the ear gel.
Good Luck! I miss him so much!
I see that alot of people are considering giving their pet Resthyro as an alternative to medication. I just want to make one important comment. If you decide to use Resthyro instead of giving your pet medication prescribed by your vet, please continue to see you vet on a regular basis and ask that blood work be drawn to make sure that the Resthyro is working to improve your pets condition. Hyperthroidism needs to be treated and if the Resthyro is not doing anything to improve your cats condition, you need to change your treatment.
Thank you, Nancy, for your comments. It is important to continue checking the T4,T3 levels. My hyperthyroid cat was unable to tolerate Methimazole in its pill form. She stopped eating and drinking after two weeks on the medication. She was switched to Methimazole in a transdermal form, which was applied to the inside of her ear. After nearly 3 weeks she once again began vomiting and losing interest in eating and I stopped the treatment. Shortly after, I began giving her the prescribed dosage of Resthyro. Although she stopped vomiting, and seemed less hyperactive, her appetite remained ravenous. Blood work was done 18 days later, and it was disappointing to learn that thyroxine levels were higher than ever. In retrospect, she may have been able to tolerate the Methimazole if it had been given to her in increments. Instead, she began the treatment with a full dosage. Presently, this is day 2 and our vet’s recommends getting her back to a full dosage gradually. After two weeks on the full dosage, more blood tests will be done. The goal is to get her T4 and T3 level back to normal and then have tradioiodine therapy.
I can’t believe I opened this site so concerned about my cat BeBe, only to find another cat lover with her cat BeBe in trouble too….I’m so broken-hearted…I rescued BeBe 13 years ago with her four babes….she actually was running to find food for them with a broken hip when I happened along…it was love at first sight. My daughter and I spent 6 weeks visiting nightly until we got the trust of the little family and took them in. Not thinking I would keep them all, as I had two already, however, no other doors opened and I have 7 furry felines sharing my home. That’s 100 pounds of cat…but now, BeBe who must be at least 17 years old has taken a strange turn. She has that old age look about her, runs from me, does not want to eat or drink, and tends to sleep a lot. Her breath is horrible. I once had a cat that lived to be 20 and developed the same symptoms. Our vet said old age….I can see the inevitable coming…BeBe is one of these spirited cats that no matter how cruel people were to her, she never stopped trusting or loving them!!!! And she was and still is the mother of all time! Her beautiful children still cling to her! I’m trying to get her to eat, all tasty things, but she wants nothing to do with it. I have a feeling she’s willing herself to pass. She and her babies are so difficult to get to the vets…I will try, but I have a feeling I’m not going to like what I hear. Pray for my BeBe too!!!!
BeBe is in my prayers. Do try to take her to a vet. A simple blood test will tell you what is wrong with her and whether treatment will help her or not. I always regreted not taking Sam to a vet sooner.
My best wishes and prayers are with you both.
My cat, who is only 5 years old, was recently diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. My vet put her on Methmimazole, in liquid form, and she tolerated it for one week. We then went with a lower dose, in gel form, and she tolerated it for 4 days. (The pharmacy, Nora Apothecary, I worked with was capable of making both forms of the medicine in their office.)
Now that I know my cat cannot tolerate Methmimazole I’m searching for natural remedies. In addition to Resthyro I also came across ThyroSoothe which can be found on http://www.nativeremedies.com. It is a remedy for humans, as is Methmimazole, but can be given to pets. You can get directions on how much to give from the company. As always, you will find both positive and negative testimonies. I pray mine will be positive.
You and your extended family members will be in my prayers tonight.
God Bless.
Keep your face to the sunshine
and you will not see the shadows.
Helen Keller
For my cat Tyrell it was too late. I feel so guilty that I didn’t take her to the vet sooner. She was 15 and has been gone a month today. She did of a heart attack from untreated hyperthyroidism. I just didn’t notice the change in her other than the weight loss. I thought she was getting old. Also our dog died last September so I thought she was upset about that and we had a baby June 2008 so she has had a lot of upheavel so I put it down to all of that.
I wish I had taken her to the vet sooner. I had no idea that she was so sick.
Please take your cats for their check up. She was my best friend and as I used to always say to my husband when Tyrell and I were together. We are in love. He would laugh. I miss her more than I can believe.
Problem is I just don’t know if I got her to the vet sooner would she still be here today.
Julie
Julie,
My heart goes out to you. I feel your pain. When my cat Sam died of hyperthroidism, my heart was broken and still is! It has been about a month now. I felt so guilty! I didn’t take him to the vet on a regular basis and still wonder if I had taken him sooner if he could have been saved. I noticed his symptoms, but I, like you, just thought his symptoms were because he was getting old. He was part of our family and I loved him just as much! All I can say to everyone reading this is please take your pets to the vet on a regular basis or at least if you notice any changes in them. They can’t speak and when they have a problem or aren’t feeling well them can’t tell us. If I had taken Sam to the vet when I first started noticing his symptoms, a simple blood test would have confirmed his hyperthroidism and he most likely could have been treated and saved. I waited way to long! and by the time I took him it was to late! This was a tough lesson for me! I can’t believe I was so neglectful! I loved him so much.
Nancy
My Lainie is 16 and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about a month ago. She was slowly losing weight, and had gone form 14 to 9 pounds. She has been on the ear gel (.1 ml. twice a day alternating ears) for about 3 weeks. This week she has started some bizarre behavior. She sits in the closet continuously and only comes out to eat and use the litter box. She seems spacey and is sheading heavily. Are these normal behaviors on this medication? I need to take her back to the vet in 2 weeks to check her thyroid levels again. Also, do cats need to be knocked out to draw the blood for thyroid testing? According to my vet, they do. I have enjoyed reading the comments on this site, and any info would be helpful.
Lainie’s Mom
Cats don’t need to be knocked out to have their blood drawn…YIKES…I would definately find another vet…and/or report this one.
Nancy try not to feel too bad. Although I know it is hard. You weren’t neglectful. You can’t base your whole relationship with Sam and I Tyrell on the
one mistake of not taking them to the vet earlier.
It sounds like you, just as I did. Provided a loving warm and happy home for them to live in for many years without a care in the world (I even took Tyrell in a motorhome around Australia with me as I could not bare to leave her, she had a great trip too). I am sure they wouldn’t be being has hard on us as we are on ourselves.
When I did take her to the vet they said there was something wrong with her teeth and put her under and cleaned them. (she nearly didn’t wake up and in hindsight I wish she didn’t) They got it wrong too and they are the experts. How are we suppose to know. As hard as it is to accept it could just be no matter what we did it was their time. We feel this way because we loved them and are in shock as we had no idea this would be the outcome. Bring on the healing time I say!
Julie
Hi Everyone
I can’t help but wonder how everyone is going treating their cats for this disease. I ask because it seems that it is quite hard to treat but it would be good to see if anyone has had success since their last posting. For us less fortunate we could put it in our what to do next time list.
Thanks
Julie
Hi Everyone,
I agree with Julie. It would be wonderful to hear some success stories for next time this happens. Sam didn’t take a turn for the worse untill I started him on the medication (pills). Does the gel you put in the ear work better? Vets don’t seem to really know much about this disease. I was so dissatisfied with my regular vet that I took Sam to another vet for a second opinion. The medication may have worked if I had taken him sooner. I just can’t emphasize enough – You are the voice for your cat! If you are not sure you agree with the treatment recommended by your vet go to another vet for a second opinion! Vets do not always agree and sometimes it is nice to have two opinions to pick from. If your pets behavior has changed but he/she isn’t due to go see the vet for a couple of weeks, take him anyway. Don’t wait. My other pets will most definitely benefit from this eyeopening experience. Julie, you are correct! Sam had a wonderful 16 years as part of our family and we enjoyed him so much!
To Laine’s mom. I don’t recall Sam being knocked out for his blood test. You might want to call another vet and ask if they knock out their cats in order to get a blood test.
Thank you everyone for your feedback. It is very helpful and helps the healing process.
Nancy
To Laine’s mom.
I just wanted to make one more comment. When I took Sam for a second opinion, the vet informed me that being Sam was 16 years old and his condition was so poor she wouldn’t take the risk of putting him out.
Was you vet talking about using anesthesia or a tranquilizer. Make sure you ask him how risky this is at her age and condition!
Nancy
To Laines mum
My vet also didn’t knock Tyrell out for bloodtest. Just took her in another room, shaved some fur. Took some blood and gave her back. Simple procedure from what I could tell.
Nancy, you are right this is helping the healing process. I am starting to feel not so guilty now and more missing her but at the same time thinking of all the nice memories.
Julie
To all of you with cats with hyperthyroid I can share this piece of good news. My good buddy Socks, about 13yrs old, developed the disease. I have issues with allopathic treatments, and decided to try Resthyro from petwellbeing.com.
It saved his life – that simple. It’s been about 4 months – he’s eating well, feels and looks really good; heart rate and respiration are now normal. However, two notes:
1. possibly giving him a bit more than suggested dosage – if you don’t see results within days, up the dosage a bit.
2. change the diet! raw foods (Socks gets buffalo meat and chicken liver raw) you can also use something like primal or wysong (archtype freeze dired is great fo cats that don’t lke wet food) Include supplements and quality protein – Socks gets 2 mixtures: raw egg, liver powder, CoQ10, selenium, shark cartiledge, 82 mineral powder; 2nd mixture is raw egg, liver powder, flax meal, and fish oil. Petwellbeing and Onlynatural both have goos supplements – ones I mention above are human types with dosage diluted to Socks weight.
Resthyro is a fantastic product and just shows that nature is the best pharmacy – unless your a pharm company and want the greed profits that patent medicine offers.
A success story. Thankyou. Hopefully I will never need it (again 😦 )
but thank you for sharing your great news. Pat Socks for me.
Julie
I’m relieved to find this thread. I was wondering if anyone had had good results with Resthyro and was happy to see two on this list and then again on the petwellbeing.com site. I think I’m going to try the chewable pills with similar ingredients, which Laura found on http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Thyroid-Wellness-Feline/999174.aspx. Laura, have they worked for you? Any other feedback?
I can’t get my pet to touch the “chewable” pills I bought from http://www.onlynaturalpet.com. He won’t eat them whole, broken or pulverized and mixed in food he likes. The company offers refund only for unopened packages, so $20 was just wasted. I wonder if I should spend more money to try the Resthyro. I’ve tried putting drops of other meds in water and my pet won’t drink the water with the drops, so I don’t know how well I’d do getting him to take the Resthyro, unless I force it down his through with the dropper? Any advice from anyone? Thanks!
good news.
my cat boobish had a bad reaction from the pills. after seeing the vet again and waiting about 10 days, we started him on the liquid at a half dose. the liquid is great. you can get it flavored (tuna, chicken, seafood, etc.) and i mix it in his wet food. just took him back to retest his levels and he went from 12.2 to 5.9 in one month. now the vet just wants to up the liquid by 1/6 which is really easy to do with the plunger you get with the liquid. (to get his levels down just a bit.) normal ranges between 0.5 – 5.8.
boobish has gained almost a pound and looks great. try the liquid.
good luck to all of you.
linda
If your cat gets sick from the thyroid pills, try giving it 1/2 a tablet of famodadine with the pill. This woked for my cat. Also fyi for everyones vet, if your dog has a reaction to vaccines, you should give them benadryl four days before the vaccinations and four days after or they can get a detached retina. Most vets do not know this information. I got it from Dr. Rozdonic and he is the best.
I’d like to recommend the radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism. I know it’s expensive, but it’s a one-shot expense, and you’re done–the cat is cured. Add up what you are spending on prescription medication and periodic blood tests at the vet, and you’ll find that after 2 or 3 years you’ve spent as much as the radioactive iodine treatment costs. My cat didn’t tolerate the medicine well (was vomiting daily), so I bit the bullet and paid $1000 for the radio-iodine treatment. I’m so glad I did! It’s one injection and 3 days quarantine. That was two years ago, and my cat has been healthy and happy ever since. She’s 15 and doing great!
Hi Marcia, I was hoping to find someone who gave thier kitty the iodine treatment. Our baby, 13 years old was just diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We are awaiting the couple of weeks on the Tapazole to do the blood work again to see if she is a candidate for the treatment. I would rather give her this treatment mainly because it is a cure, not just a maintanance program. Thank you for posting this information of your success with your kitty.
I just want to thank everyone for sharing so much information! It is to late for my Sam, but will most definitely benefit any future cats I own that develop hyperthroidism. It is so sad they we learn the hard way.
I just want to STRONGLY suggest to everyone, as you will get alot of different opinions, so no matter what path you decide to follow, take your cat to the vet for regular follow-up visits! If you don’t get the heart rate down, the cat will have a heart attack! Statistics show that owners of cats tend to not take their cats to the vet on a regular basis. I know my Sam was sick for a very long time before I took him to the vet. I just thought it was part of growing old. By the time I took him, it was to late.
For me the medication did not work because the taste was unbearable and my cat would not take it! When forced to take it or by putting it in his food he just quit eating alltogether. I am so happy to hear that the liquid medication comes in flavors!! (chicken, tuna, seafood, etc.) Hopefully this will be the solution! I also gave my cat the Resthyro. I was told by several excellent vets after they read alla the ingredients listed on the bottle, that giving the Resthyro was fine, that it wouldn’t hurt the cat but that it was just like a human being taking a vitamin. It wouldn’t hurt the cat, but certainly wouldn’t lower his heart rate enough to keep him form having a heart attack.
I have one friend who did the Radioactive iodine with excellent results. I think the important thing is to not wait to long like I did. Early diagnosis and treatment is important.
Thanks Again for all your feedback! It has been so helpful.
Nancy
Hey all,
Almost exactly 2 years ago, my cat (13 years old) started having seizures. I took her to the vet, and she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.
Like everyone here, I was given the three treatment options. For me, expense wasn’t an issue for my companion – I wanted to do what was best. We started her on liquid methimazole to fix the seizures while I decided how to move forward.
After we got her T4 in line, though, we discovered that my girl’s HT was masking some kidney failure. Looking at treatment options for both diseases, I decided to stay with medication, rather than going with surgery or radiation. With medication, I am able to balance my kitty’s T4 level with her BUN and creatnine (kidney indicators). That wasn’t possible with surgery or radiation.
Point being… there is a compounding pharmacy in AZ and WI called Pet Health Pharmacy that will do up a suspension of methimazole (and even flavor it) and mail it to you, allowing you to dispense the HT medication without having to give a pill. (I had a Fe-Leuk kitty choke to death on a pill years ago… never again.)
Every day, twice a day, I give my kitty a small portion of wet cat chow with her medication in it. She gobbles it up without protest. (In fact, most days she begs me for her treat.) She thinks she has the best disease in the world.
She did, initially, experience some side effects – particularly vomiting. However, I solved that problem by dividing her dose (currently .85ml/day) in half, and giving her her medication in the morning and night.
The REALLY nice thing about the liquid is that I can adjust the dose – if she looks skinny, I give her a little more; if she looks a little chubby, I lower her dose a bit.
I’ve been doing this for almost exactly 2 years now and it has worked very very well. At her last check-up, not only was her T4 within normal ranges, but her BUN and creatnine (kidney) values were spot-on, too. More importantly, though, she is her normal, happy kitty self.
Hope this helps! Chins up, folks.
I just wanted to say that my beloved cat, Mocha, also choked to death on a pill. It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen, and she did not deserve that. She had heart disease, not thyroid problems. I just want to say PLEASE look into compounding your medication for your cats. Cats do not want to take pills. And they could choke to death on it as they resist. Please be careful! I’d hate to hear of another story like Mocha’s. She was the best cat in the world – and didn’t deserve that.
My beloved cat, Mocha, also passed away from choking on a pill. She was on medication for heart disease, not thyroid. But I just want to say that cats are resistent. Please look into having your medication compounded. Seeing her go that way was the most terrible thing I’ve ever witnessed. She didn’t deserve to go that way. I miss her SO much!
Ooh, re-reading through other people’s posts… when I was giving my little girl her whole dose of medication at one shot (1ml/day at the time), in addition to the vomiting, she was also lethargic. She just wasn’t the same kitty. However, once I halved the dose and started medicating her twice a day, the lethargy abated.
I highly recommend that anyone with a cat that has been diagnosed with HT do as much research as they can on the disease. Understand how the disease affects the other parts of the body (e.g. kidneys, heart, etc.) Make sure you know what the various numbers mean on the cat’s bloodwork and how they relate. You don’t want to do something that seems to have a positive effect (i.e. increasing the dose and getting a weight gain) if it is going to cause a secondary problem (i.e. decreased kidney function).
My cat Sylvia was just diagnosed w/ HT about a month ago. She was getting skinny so I had the bloodwork done. They prescribed the Methimazole pills, she got 1/2 pill ea/day. She seemed a bit lethargic & was scratching her head a lot. At her 2 wk check, they switched her to the transdermal type. She seems to be very sick on this, sleeping a lot, hiding in basement, diarrhea, throwing up, then she stopped eating & drinking. So I stopped the meds after that last dose 2 nites ago, today she is drinking water again & acting fairly normal. She just ate a little food too. I’m going to try the Resthyro & see if there’s any improvement. I’m afraid to even give her a little of the Methimazole now even though a tiny bit seemed to be ok earlier. Not sure what to do. The vets don’t know how medicine is going to affect our pets so we have to watch over them & be on the lookout for any changes. I feel so helpless!! As many of you do/did.
I’m not a vet, but if the kitty can handle a small dose of the methimazole, you might try giving her multiple doses a day. When she was first diagnosed I gave my kitty one dose of medicine a day and it made her lethargic and she would vomit. After a while, I asked my vet if giving multiple doses a day would be OK; they said that it was (and was actually preferable) so I split her dose into two. She has been able to handle the medication much better that way – you might try that for your little girl. You might also try getting a liquid form, if only because it will allow you to tweak her amounts easier than cutting pills.
Good luck!
My 15 year old cat Pearl was recently diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. It has been a heartbreaking experience for me as I love her very dearly. Like everyone else, the vet went over the three options, and I opted to order the Resthyro to see how that works first (I will keep you all posted) and started giving it to her today.
To those who feel bad b/c you feel that you didn’t get your pet to the vet soon enough, don’t. I also thought the weight loss was due to old age, and took her in b/c I thought her teeth needed cleaning.
Please note my cat’s diet has predominantly been tuna and salmon. I came across an article in the web that said that cats on a tuna/fish/salmon diet have been found to develop this disease. So I do agree with some of the postings here about changing the diet (cats do not live in the ocean or have access to processed dry food in the wilderness).
I have changed her diet completely to organic cat food. No more tuna or salmon (Friskies or Fancy Feast eventhough she loves it). I also researched the ingredients in the R
esthyro and some have been thought to offset the effects of radiation. If the Resthyro is not effective in balancing her hormone production, then I am going to save up and to try the radioactive iodine shot. I am hoping that by then her body would be strong to handle this treatment.
Lastly, I am going to find a vet that practices both traditional and holistic medicine. I am optimistic that I can get her body back to balance and good health!
P.S. In the meantime I bought her a new bed, some catnip, and as usual am giving her tons of love!!!I gave the medicine directly into her mouth rather than her food to make sure that she is getting it. I explained to her her condition, the options, and that I will need her collaboration. So far so good…I will post in a couple of months…
Reisa
my cat, Brutus, was diagnoised with hyperthyrodism a little over a year ago. He is currently 18 going on 19. the 5mg dosage of methimazole was too much for him and put him in a half coma like most of the time and he continued to lose weight as he would not eat. I cut the medicine in half and that improved him a bit. I now give cut the tablet in 4 and give it to him a quarter in the morning and a quarter in the evening. the only way I have been able to get him to take the medicine is to crush the 1/4 tablet and mix it with a little water and 1 microwave shrimp. He drinks the water and even more as I add it. He licks the shrimp, but does not eat it although sometimes does chew on it.
I still do not feel the medicine is helping him as much as I would like and have just received an order of resthyro which I am going to try on him. I dropped the first drops in lukewarm water and he licked it right up….so keeping my fingers crossed.
Paula
A couple of wks ago I took Sylvia in for a blood test. She was on the Resthyro for about 3 wks by then. Her results came back last wk & her T4 is higher than before. so the Resthyro didn’t seem to work. But it was worth a shot. On the Yahoo hyper-t group I mentioned it & got this reply…..
Me:
> Kind of late for this post, but I tried the Resthyro from Pet
> Wellbeing after having problems w/ the methimazole. It hasn’t helped
> @ all. Just got a call from the vet today to let me know Sylvia’s T4
> is getting higher since her last blood check. Grrrr. But I was
> willing to try anything after she got so sick on the methimazole. So
> after all the trial & error, I’m taking her in on Jan. 8 for the
> surgery. Has the Resthyro worked for anybody?
Other Poster:
I’m not surprised. This supplement seems to be aimed at the TSH and
there is no TSH in autonomous adenoma cases to speak of…
I think the herbalists aren’t really aware of what is causing hyper-t
in cats (in most cases) and they treat it as Graves’… These are very
different diseases. And the same remedy will NOT work.
Good luck with the surgery…
————–
So, I’m taking Sylvia in this wk for the surgery. Keeping my fingers crossed!! And good luck to all of you & your babies……
My cat Shadow was diagnosed with hyperthryoid a year ago. I went through a year of diareah – that ended when he got 10 days of antibiotics to treat a cold (wasn’t from the thryoid). He was finally put on the ear thryoid medicine – methimazole…(sp) but has continued to lose weight and finally a month ago started peeing everywhere- even on me. And lying horizontal alot with weird breathing – almost labored. I had to make a decision to either put him down or earnestly try other meds. It has been 4 days and I have to say that I have had some sucess with the following:Rsthryo 2times per day, flax seed oil with a tiny bit of egg yolk in the morning (if fed from pop top cans of cat food they need this) and finally a supplement – (half pill) from the maharishi clinic in Iowa – regvitality at http://www.mapi.com. to help with breathing issues. hope this helps.
Wow. Its good to read of these experiences. My “Squeak” was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago with thryroid problems. I put her on methimazole immediately as recommended by my vet. Tonight I am at the farm trying to get her to eat raw chicken and give her meds. She seems to be getting worse. Tommorrow I am taking her into the vets. I hate to ask this but what is the final straw for cats with this? Is this something she can live for years. (My cat is 9 years old) Or is it just the end my friend Squeak. I am trying Restro but only in small amounts with the hope of improving her appetite which has been steadily declining. Things were looking good for a while. But the last two days she has not eaten. Intravaneous tuna?
Thanks to everyone for your shared comments! My kitty was also recently diagnosed and I am due to have a talk with my vet, so it was good to see that there are so many opinions and experiences out there from which to draw. Lorrie
Our cat Benny (shelter rescue cat between 14-17 yrs old) was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 6 years ago. We did the radioactive iodine treatment which was extremely successful, like Marcia stated in her post. He has had many carefree, healthy years since.
Recent check up revealed elevated thyroid levels, coupled with more agitated behavior and increasing demands for more food. So although the radioactive iodine treatment worked, the disease has returned. Meds are not an option (vomiting). We are going to try the Resthyro for a few months, then have him rechecked. We will post back with our hopefully successful results. Thanks to everyone who’ve shared their stories on this forum. We wish you all the best…
Bill & Diane,
I just read your post. Miss Kitty has been taking the medicine for 2 days now, and so far she is cooperating. My vet has mentioned the radioactive iodine. I know it is expensive. Am I to understand you correctly that Benny was okay for 6 years after having the radioactive iodine treatment? Also, has anyone out there been able to successfully keep a cat on the medicine in order to avoic more costly treatments? If so, please reply. PS – I tried to get put on the email list for updates on this subject, but I got an email and when I tried to do the required approval it said that I need some sort of password. I don’t have the password.
Lorrie,
Yes, Benny was fine for the 6-7 years following the radioactive iodine therapy but now there is evidence that the hyperthyroidism has returned based on current vet evaluation and his recent behavior. We originally thought that once he had this treatment he would be “cured” but that is not the situation in our case. I don’t want to dissuade anyone from this treatment option, just that the disease came back as far as Benny is concerned.
We wish you well and hope that the medicine works for Miss Kitty 🙂
If you want to see some pix of Benny, go to our website:
http://bill-jones.org and click on the “Our Kitties” link
OUr been very sick, throwing up everyday, ravenous appetite and incessantly vocal. He is just skin and bones. We started the Resthyo a week ago and from day one the vomiting stopped and he was much more relaxed and less vocal. But now after a week he has started vomiting again and is very vocal. I’m wondering if I need to up the dosage and how much of the Resthyro is ok to give. It seems odd to me that it worked so instantly and then stopped. Any suggestions?
Hello, I just stumbled onto to this website. I am doing some research on hyperthyroidism in cats.
My 14/15 y.o. cat Sunny was diagnosed with this disease 2007/2008 and has been on Methinzole ever since. (First year and half I did the .01 dose in the ear; now I’m giving her the pills. Half a pill in AM and half in PM)
Took her to the vet’s on March 19th. Vet said her bloodwork for the thyroid was under control; BUT unfortunately now her BUN and CREATININE levels were not good. She now has to be watched for and be on a special diet for KIDNEY/RENAL failure.
Some of my research led to the petwellbeing site for Resthro drops; others searches gave me information as to a cause for hyperthryoidism may be related to feeding your cats a continuous diet of canned wet food.
Sunny has tolerated the ear meds and pills fairly well. Although getting her to take the pills is a really BIG challenge. Pill pockets work until the cat figures out the pill in it; right now crushing the pill and mixing with her wet food is working…….for now.
I am interested in the Resthro drops. As I read through everyones comments….is it really doable?
Thanks.
Debbie
Pittsburgh, PA
Took my little boy cat (Dixie) in for teeth cleaning after vet insisted that his weight loss was due to his periodontal issues–but his blood test revealed hyperthyroid (as I had suspected). Had already ordered the Resthyro and am going to try him out on it for a month or two since I am not enamored of any of the western med alternatives with side effects. For Dixie, who has always responded better to natural remedies than others, I feel that the Resthyro is a good first step. If, after a month or two, he doesn’t look better, then I’ll consider something else. Will keep you posted. Great site to read what other “parents” have experienced with their kitties.
Bill and Dianes story matches ours to a T. Our Chevy had the radioactive iodine treatment about 5 or 6 years ago and all was great. Then after taking her in for her yearly vet visit on wednesday we got the call yesterday that the HT has returned. 😦 She is quite old now and we’re not sure how to treat her this time. Last night I did a search and found the Resthyro, I see that is is back ordered and unavailable so I’ll wait and see.
I have been around the block with hypothyroid in my cats more than once. My elder kitty has had this problem for quite a few years. The first thing the vet recommended was surgery, which was successful…but the vet told me that on average it only works for about 3 years. Sure enough, Nelson started to have problems again and she couldn’t tolerate the pills, so I have been doing two things: the compounded meds on her ear which work great and no side effects, and a tinture of herbs I researched on the web which have been working really well: 2pts bugleweed, 1pt lemon balm, 1 pt motherwort. I mix it with her wet food and its not a problem. I started with around 5 drops 2x a day and now do about 12.
All of this has been working great until recently and I am looking to find some other supplement that might help out. The Resthyro sounds like it helps, but I haven’t been able to find out what is in it- does anyone know where on the web I might be able to find out?
Thanks…
Dear Carol – I trust you meant to say “hypERthyroidism” which is too much thyroid hormone produced in the body, instead of “hypothyroidism” which is too little thyroid hormone produced in the body. My 12yo cat Sweety also has recently suffered from hyperthyroidism whereby she refused all her vet medications and desperately I experimentally treated with a single small tiny dose of the selenium food mineral in her saucer of milk which she liked drinking and then seemed to feel better in general and return to her better health. Due to test expenses I cannot say the selenium normalized her thyroid levels but internet searches show some hope in selenium’s potential role in this illness. However regarding Resthyro, here’s a webpage on Resthyro for you and information of the ingredients. On the webpage you must scroll down to the 4 categories starting with “description, reviews, dosage and directions, ingredients” and you’ll find it there! You may also be interested to research information on the healthfood mineral “selenium” too in a safe brewers yeast tablet form broken into very tiny portions to try possibly helping hyperthyroidism used very carefully in tiny doses once or twice a week or maybe month in a bowl of milk. Very best wishes to us all!!! http://www.petwellbeing.com/cat-hyperthyroid-p89.cfm
For Lorrie: my Little Annie was diagnosed in October 2006 with HT. I have had her on methimazole ever since, and she’s doing great. (Knock on wood!) Shortly after she started on the HT meds, I had to switch her to Hills Prescription k/d cat food, which did wonders for her kidney levels.
She gets her medication (.35 ml of .25 mg/ml methimazole) twice a day (so .7 ml total a day). I mix it in with some wet cat food, and she usually gobbles it right up. Most days she begs for her ‘treat’.
It took a little while (a couple months) to get the current system worked out, but perserverance, patience and experimentation paid off. We only rarely have ‘bad’ days where she doesn’t want to eat, and she is occasionally constipated (nothing a small daily dose of milk doesn’t help), but she hasn’t had a seizure (what prompted the initial vet visits) in over 2 years (last one was Feb 2007) and she has maintained her weight, appetite, bathroom habits and happy kitty personality for almost 3 years now. 😀
For Debbie: I’d highly recommend getting the methimazole in liquid form. It’s super cheap ($16 + shipping for ~3 month supply from Pet Health Pharmacy), and is very easy to administer… my girl doesn’t even know she’s getting medicated every morning and night when I put a bowl of yummy wet cat food in front of her. I refuse to give pills, after a kitty I had with FeLeuk choked to death on an improperly administered one years ago.
The additional moisture in the wet food is good for the kidneys, according to my vet, since it helps move the toxins the kidneys aren’t flushing as effectively as before. My girls (since the other cat gets a treat twice a day, too, sans medication) love Friskies pate-style. I, personally, don’t buy any of the fish flavors, since I heard (somewhere, a long time ago and in passing) that they can cause fatal digestive issues in some kitties. Probably just scuttlebutt, but I don’t want to take the chance.
Good luck!
Never talk about how well things are going… you’ll jinx yourself. My Little Annie started vomiting Saturday night. Not unusual, but she didn’t get back to normal on Sunday. Monday I took her to the vet. Bloodwork came back normal for kidney values; elevated ALT (liver enzyme). Gave her 4 hours of IV fluids and 100ccs subQs. She was perkier in the car on the way home, but by Monday night she was back to lethargic. Hoping it was just a reaction to a stressful day, I let her be.
This morning she was still uninterested in her food. Went out and bought some baby food, which she did eat. Aside from that, she hasn’t eaten since Saturday morning. Went to work, hoping the food would perk her up… came home… still lethargic and now she won’t even eat the baby food.
In to the vet she goes again tomorrow. I’m so scared for my little girl…
I have two cats 11 and 12 who both have hyperthyroidism. I have had cats my whole life (40 yrs) and never one has had this terrible condition until now. What filthy corporation(s) is poisioning our pets for profit? I too have fed my “boys” a diet of seafood flavored 9 lives. I am inclined to say it has something to do with this as it is the only common denominator (both cats have it but they are from two different litters). I wish we could get some answers. After no luck with tapazole I just started Gus on Resthyro. I will keep you posted
Hello All, I just wanted to update you all on my cat Bebe’s status. Since Bebe started her Methimazole a couple years ago, she has don e great. She started out with a dosage of .5 cc of compound twice a day then had to be increased to .75cc twice per day. She does well with her compound being mixed into some wet cat food twice a day. Thanks for all the feedback and I wish you all the best of luck in whichever treatment you pursue for you kitty!
We had the iodine treatment done on our Dixie (11 year old male) and it worked VERY WELL. Dixie is not one to be “pilled” and the stress on him and on us would have taken its toll. So we opted for the iodine treatment. For him, in particular, it was the only way to go. On the day of treatment, Dixie had an injection on the inside of one of his back legs, was in isolation at the vet for three days, came home and within a couple of weeks, had regained the 2.5 pounds he lost previous to the iodine treatment. His fur is now silky and he’s back to his old self, and we couldn’t be happier. Plus, I should mention that we were told by two HOMEOPATHIC vets, to do the iodine treatment.
Thanks Kay,
I am independantly involved in animal rescue in my community currently TNR’ing and feeding a feral colony of 9 cats (on my own dime).
Unfortunately a $1,500 procedure is not in the budget for Gus but so far he is responding quite well to the Resthyro although it has only been four days. I am happy for you and Dixie. That’s wonderful.
Hello! I am looking at Resthryo, Standard PRocess thytrophin PMG, and Only Natural Pet Thyroid. My question is if anyone knows how long it will take for herbal remedies to work, and also, if Standard Process thytrophin PMG can be combined with herbs? I have tried the Standard Process for about 3 months (no herbs yet), and kitty is still losing weight. I want to try herbs, but I didn’t know if I should quit Standard Process altogether or add in the herbs. Thank you!
We were told by two homeopathic vets that there is no cure for feline hyperthyroid and to go ahead with the iodine treatment (which is expensive, I know). We did the treatment about a month ago and our little guy has regained his weight and has returned to his usual self (sometimes cranky, sometimes sweet). Have a vet appointment next week to get his new values and will keep you posted.
Gus has been on the Resthyro for a week and so far, I am not sure if its just wishful thinking but he does seem a little bit more like his old self. As far as his weight, he has always been on the thin side but he feels like he may have gained something (when I hold him in my arms).
I have been feeding him like a king (tenderloin chicken). I have taken him completely off of 9 lives Seafood platter as this is what I really believe is the culprit. I suggest doing the same if you are feeding him any sort of commercially sold seafood flavored food. I wish everyone the best of luck. Its sooo frustrating that they cant tell us how they are feeling and that to some degree we have to “play god”.
One year today since Tyrell has been gone. Miss you my little schmuck up.
So Sorry for your loss Julie. I know its a matter of time for my Gus.
He is so frail and I have tried all of the treatment options I can afford.
Don’t blame yourself for not getting Tyrell to a vet quicker. You did the best you could….we cant read minds unfortunately.
Thank you all. Triangle was diagnosed today with a thyroid level of 7. Vet said 3 indicates thyroid disease. She dropped 1 pound in 2 years, which doesn’t seem like a lot for a 15 year old cat, but he said it’s 1% of her body weight. The reason we took her in was because of daily periods intense yowling, and some other personality changes. The Vet said yowling is a symptom of thyroid. Vet never heard of anything natural for treatment that works, so recommended the 3 options you all mentioned above. Wow, this is a hard decision. Radiation, surgery, pills? Yikes! We are an organic household and use alternative and holistic MDs for our health care. Does anyone know of a holistic VET in the San Francisco Bay area? Near Stanford, Palo Alto, Burlingame, etc.
Please report on any success from any of the treatments, allopathic or “alternative”. Also on raw food diet. Many thanks to all for a great site, Mamaglee
The two homeopathic vets we consulted told us to do the iodine treatment because there’s no cure for hyperthyroidism. Homeopathy, per one of these docs, only works if the number is VERY low. Our cat’s number was 11 and that was too high to consider homeopathic treatment.
Hi Mamaglee,
Gus is going on 13 and has been on Resthyro for a month now. While he is still very thin (always was) he has put on some weight and seems to be ok. Still pants quite a bit. His T4 was last at 10. You can also try lemon balm which is suppose to be a good homeopathic option. Iodine treatment is clearly the easiest however it is quite costly and from what I have read its not a guarantee for cats with an underlying kidney condition.
Good to hear that Gus is doing well so far. I don’t know Triangle’s T4, but the Vet said over the phone that her thyroid was 7, and that anything over 3 is indicative of the disease. The iodine treatment requires us to leave Triangle someplace for 3-5 days without human contact. She’s such a people cat, I wonder if she’d survive being locked up in a “box”. She’s a cat that jumps up to try to reach a doorknob if the door’s closed and she wants to get in or out!
We found a holistic vet that we’re going to see in 10 weeks. Also, we have an animal communicator coming to the house this weekend. I’m not sure about that – but I figure anything’s worth our kitty’s health. She’s also a chiropractor and homeopath, and she helped my holistic Medical Doctor’s two cats…so we’ll see. Thanks so much for contacting me with the info about Resthyro. My current vet never heard of it, and said he’s never heard of anything non-standard working for any cat. But then, my regular HMO doc hasn’t heard of many of the treatments I get from my holistic doc.
Will keep in touch, Mamaglee
Hello! I have to share our story about our cat, Monte, who was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroid. Monte was getting sooo skinny but eating like a horse! We attributed some ot this to being elderly (13 years old), but it really seemed excessive. We finally took him to the vet. The vet ran the test for thyroid and discovered that his level was 28.9 (4.6 is normal)!!!! The vet didn’t think the medication would work at such high readings and the other two options were surgery and radiation. We are not big on spending loads of money on pets, so I started doing some research on natural remedies for hyperthyroid in cats and humans. I found it to be quite interesting.
We made our way to the natural foods store and purchased a bottle of the herb bugleweed ( about $10). It comes as a liquid with a dropper. We also purchased a thyroid support by Gaia (about$15) which contains kelp and other herbs. Once we were home, I did some quick figuring on how much to give Monte since dosages were for humans. I started with 4 drops of the bugleweed (Monte weighs 9 lbs.) in Monte’s food and squeezed about half of the contents of the thyroid support capsule in as well. Since his heart had been racing from the hyperthyroid and since cold-pressed olive oil is good for the heart, I decided to add about 1/2 tsp. of olive oil to each feeding. I didn’t figure the extra fat and calories would hurt either.
The next day we were noticing positive changes but thought it might all be in our heads…he seemed more relaxed, eyes weren’t dialted. Each day showed improvement. It has been three weeks now and Monte is a whole different cat. He is much more relaxed, no more yowling at night, not so many dumpers outside his litter box, much more playful (we all know how exciting a paper ball in a dry bathtub can be…endless fun!). We have not found any negative side effects.
Monte has yet to gain weight back, but I suspect it will take a while since his thyroid level was so high.
Anyway, I wanted to pass this information on to you so that you can be aware of other options. We don’t know what the future will hold, but things are looking better for Monte.
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your detailed post about the steps that you took to relieve Monte’s hyperthyroid issues. I’ve started the olive oil and bugleweed with my 16 year old cat, Ursa Minor, and I’m looking for the thyroid support.
I’m wondering if Monte continues to improve and if you’ve tried anything else that you’d suggest.
Thanks!
Jeanetta
Yay Diane, Yay Monte. This is such great optimistic news. Wow, our VET made it seems like Triangle was way off the charts with her number of 6 for her thyroid tests, saying it was double normal.
We had an animal communicator visit Triangle this week, and we found a holistic vet that we’re taking her to next week. I don’t like the 3 options of surgery, radiation, and medication (the needs of which increase the more you give the medication)…so I’m hopeful that we will find alternatives that will bring health to our pussycat, and am very grateful to hear of your story with Monte. Thank you both, Marcia, Andy and Triangle
Hello mamaglee! Good luck with triangle. As I said, we don’t know what the future holds and we can’t claim “victory” yet, but we are hopeful.
[…] Hyperthyroidism in Felines? […]
Hey I have a cat who has hyperthyroidism and her numbers were way off the charts- (12 on her FT4) and I thought giving her the pills was torture to her. BUT I found a way to giver her the pills and I just have to share it!!!! I get a very small piece of cheese and I wrap it around the pill- just enough to coat the pill and drop it on the floor- like I dropped something when I’m cooking, and she just gobbles it up!! Every time I have to give her the pill, no ordeal at all. She even seems to ask for it when its due. Before she just scratched me and protested, I didn’t know what to do. I’ve done this for a month and I’m so happy with the results. She has gained weight and she is no longer vomiting and the diarreah stopped too. By the way slippery elm root works well for the diarreah.
Oh, my! So many stories. Our Bumpurr, age 16 or 17, was loosing weight, and like the rest of you, off to the V*t to see what was the matter. Hyperthyroidism! So Methimazole was Rx’d. I wrapped the half tab in a half chicken pill pocket. He loves it! I got the salmon, which he wouldn’t touch! But he scarfs up the chicken ones, half tab in side!
BUT, even tho his levels improved, he is still loosing muscle mass, yowls a lot (not normal), wants to eat all the time, has very dry skin. I am debating ordering the Resthyro, but don’t know if it will work better than the pills! I am going on a trip, and he will be at Best Friends ‘Kitty Motel’ for about 10 days. (They are VERY good to my critters and give the meds and feeding requests purrfectly!)
Any one have comments? If the Resthyro works, good, when I get home, I might consider switching to the suggestions made by Diane on June 23.
Our Sammy was diagnosed w/ diabetes 2 years ago. We are very consistent with his insuline shots. His glucose levels have been pretty well maintained. Sadly he was diagnosed with HT last year. We attempted pills but he had a bad reaction to them…very itchy eyes and ears, scatching so much he would bleed. Sammy is 14 and I don’t want to put him through the trauma of surgery and radiation is out because he only has one working kidney. I just want him to enjoy the life he has left. I’m thinking of feeding him a high calorie diet to get his weight back up. He gets regular vet visits to moniter his glucose levels and to check his heart rate (so far so good). I love this cat so much…I just DO NOT want him to suffer! Please pray for Sammy!!!
Just finished reading this entire thread. I recently took in a stray abandoned by her owners in my condo community. She’s emaciated. We thought it was worms — and it was — but it’s been two weeks since her worming treatment and she has barely put weight back on even though she eats kitten food (higher in calories) roughly every two hours. She has all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism and we plan on getting her tested, however, we are VERY interested in hearing everyone’s experiences with RESTHYRO. Would greatly appreciate it if everyone using this could post an update on their kitty’s progress? Thanks so much.
I have been so frustrated with our experience with our sweet wee Salem and her diagnosis with HyperT. We have a holistic vet – but even the homeopathic vet in our area, as well, only treats HyperT with the methiamazole or the radiation. So we started with the transdermal gel and at a lower than recommended dose twice a day. So we were doing only 2.5 per day in two “ear smears”. We’ve gone up slowly to still not quite 5 per day. But correlated with that? Suddenly she is so hungry but won’t eat anything. From everything I’ve read she’s nauseous. Just sniffs and walks away. She continues to vomit. And decline. It’s horrible. The vet believes there is another condition (like stomach cancer) unrelated to the HyperT or meds. I don’t know…I’ve joined lots of forums and this seems to be a regular pattern. I am wondering if we should just try to wean her off the gel and see if she at least will start to eat again. On the other hand it must be helping as her fur is almost back to normal. What a hateful disease this is!
I am also inquiring about the Resthyro. Has anyone tried Tripsy for kidney problems? My poor Pepe was diagnosed with a thyroid condition and the beginning of renal failure after exhibiting the same behaviour for a year now (we just switched vets). I just lost my beautiful little kitty Mystic, who was probably sick for a while, but the vet didn’t pick up on it (why we switched vets). I don’t want to lose my Pepe cat.
He has been pooping and peeing outside his box, he keeps losing weight, his uring is very diluted, and he vomits just about every day. I have had home on a half pill Methimazole, but he realized that the pill pockets contained medicine and won’t take it anymore. He doesn’t seem to be getting better. I’m calling the vet tomorrow to see what our alternatives are.
By the way, I don’t have money for the surgery or radiation. I wish I did. I probably let his condition go for too long without a trip to the vet because of our low finances (husband has been out of work for 7 months). Why have vets gotten sooooo expensive?
Kerry,
One of my other cats has cryptococcus (a fungus infection) and I’ve giving him a pill twice a day for almost two years now. He too figured out there was medicine in the treat and avoided it like the plague. Now I simply stick the pill in his mouth.
Here’s my process for pilling. First, get Pepe into a seated position. Straddle him between your knees like you’re riding him horseback. Fold your own feet over one another so he can’t back out between your legs. Hold the pill in your right hand between your index finger and your thumb. If Pepe tries to move forward, wrap your right forearm across his breast area just under his throat to prevent him from getting away from you. While doing that, take your left index finger and use it to lift Pepe’s mouth open via the upper pallet. Just stick your finger into the front of his mouth and lift up by his upper front teeth. Then, quick like a bunny, place the pill in against the roof of his mouth with your right hand and slide your finger out by scraping it against his front teeth. This will ensure the pill falls off your finger into his mouth. As soon as your finger is clear, use your left hand to lift his chin high enough so his head tilts back against you a bit. This will stop him from chewing or maneuver the pill out of his mouth, and he’ll simply swallow it.
I personally follow up this exercise with 1 cc of water from a needleless syringe to wash the pill taste from his mouth (you can get them from your vet). I follow that up with his favorite wet food as a treat. This gives the pill process an association with food for the cat and it will become something he will look forward to rather than struggle against.
I hope this helps. You can also google “how to pill a cat” under the video links for other options and visual instruction. Pretty soon it will become second nature for you.
All my best-
Am glad to see others who have tried resthyro drops with some success. My 14 year olld was diagnosed as a baby with Hypoerexcitablity syndrome so I expected the thyroid to go hyper , but it’s still very difficult. I know however that she absolutely hates getting into cars, riding to the vet, having her blood tested, and taking pills. My vet knows both myself and my cats well, and knew that this was not a way either me or my kitty would like to spend her golden years. I have the Testhyroid on the way, and am hoping it will help her restlessness.
Thanks for the forum.
Crystal
Hello everyone!
I just wanted to update my post from June 23, 2009. Our cat, Monte, is still doing very well with the bugleweed herb and other things that I listed. He is playful, relaxed and more social then he has been in quite some time. He has gained weight but I cannot say for sure how much since our most accurate scale is a postal scale and (believe me) it is quite a job to try weighing a full grown cat on an 8″ x 8″ platform.
We can’t say what his thyroid level is. I would be curious to know but not curious enough to pay for all of the testing again.
We are very pleased with Monte’s progress and we are glad that he is a happier, more content feline.
Diane thanks for the response! I started ine on a total protein diet with some enriched milk supplement and the drops two days ago and she has been up and playing and is keeping her food down.
I greatly appreciate your feedback as I was wondering what results are from the natural ingredients.
Mine also has slept through the past two nights with no yowling…something she hasn’t done in the past sic months. I don’t know if two days is any indication, but your post is quite encouraging.
Our 18-year old male kitty was diagnosed with lymphoma, hyperthyroidism and early kidney disease early last year. The cancer subsided after a few months of IV and pill chemo, and I started him on PetWelbeing’s ESClear for the cancer and the Resthyro, as he is practically impossible to pill and HATED the tapazole. While his thyroid levels were not lowered by the drops, his appetite improved and he gained weight and seemed much more comfortable for several months. Then he began having problems with the drops, so I stopped them.
I switched to neem leaf extract, in tiny softgel and in tincture form (he hated the tincture but skillfully spat he pill back out too often). Neem leaf is good for nausea and acid stomach and I take it myself for acid reflux. It also calms a fast heartbeat and lowers blood pressure, so three symptoms of hyperthyroid are helped by neem leaf. Kitty was made much more comfortable if I could keep enough in him, so it is I think very positive for hyperthyroid symptom management. In large doses (larger than I would give) neem leaf can actually lower thyroid hormone, though I would not recommend using it in such large amounts as available testing is so slight.
Keeping him adequately dosed with neem leaf became more and more difficult and he then went into what seemed like a thyroid crisis. Our vet performed a thyroidectomy a couple of weeks ago which went perfectly well and kitty seemed to feel better, but about a week after the surgery his kidney disease went into overdrive. Hyperthyroid increases bloodflow to the kidneys, so when taken out of the equation the kidneys moved to the front stage. I am now starting him on different foods, reading everything I can find on CRF, and ordered some Tripsy from petwellbeing which hopefully will get here soon. He may need fluid in the next day or so.
I read somewhere (too late) that valerian and scullcap, which Resthyro contain, are not good for patients with impaired kidneys, so I worry now that by giving it to him for so long I may have worsened his latent kidney disease while the hypert. was compensating for it. It may not be a good long-term choice for HT cats with KD, which means most older cats. But it did help him, for a long time. I think if I had to deal with the hyperthyroid again I would give neem leaf tea (not the alcohol tincture) by dropper instead, or the co2 extracted softgels for pillable cats. The story about Monte and bugleweed was also very interesting! Thank you for sharing.
I don’t think alternative is necessarily always better but with older animals, what is tolerable is more important. I just want him to be comfortable for as long as possible. I will let you all know how it goes with the kidney disease.
Hope this helps someone else look after their pets.
I’m sorry to hear all that your 18 year old had gone through, kidney disease is rough:-( I wanted to say that I have seen such a big change in degree of restlessness, no more howling, sleeping through the night and actually moving around a lot more. I know this may be a short t4rm aid, but for my money the restyhroid is worth every cent.
Hi Crystal,
I do believe Resthyro is a very good remedy, so long as you keep one eye on the kidneys. I’m glad to hear your kit has been responding well to it! The neem leaf products are also reasonable in cost so keep them in mind as a backup or add-on, especially if vomiting becomes an issue again. I got ahold of some whole neem leaf from a health food store and made tea with it, still bitter but much preferable to the alcohol extract. It has a long list of beneficial actions.
If you find the HT increasingly hard to manage, and if your vet is or can recommend a skilled surgeon, the thyroidectomy may be a good long-term solution. Usually only one gland is bad, so only one is removed, and if the remaining gland and surrounding matter are left undisturbed there should be no need for lifelong medication. It was quick and simple and we brought kitty home that night.
Our old fellow got sub-Q fluids Tuesday and started the Tripsy yesterday and is doing much better. He is eating and drinking more and talking, not yelling 🙂
good health to all the fuzz~
Hi!
Thanks for the suggestion on the neem, I will keep that on the list. Unfortunately, income prevents us from surgery, and frankly, the vet thinks it would not be the best option for Mantra.
I think at 14 she has lived quite a while and although I love her dearly, I know my financial limitations….as hard as it is, I am taking the steps that I can for her, and that does not include surgery:-(
I’m thrilled to hear your news thoug! Thank you for the response.
My heart is breaking. We adopted our orange tabby Wagner from city animal control 4 yrs ago. He is about 12 or 13. He has only 2 toes on his right front paw, and that leg is arthritic.
He has been the SWEETEST cat. About one yr ago he lost his hearing..totally deaf.
Then 4 days ago he woke up and couldn’t manuever his back legs, and was walking around like he was disoriented, or he couldn’t see. Took him to the vet immediately.
He is BLIND….feline retinal degeneration. Overnight ! But the back leg problem was a mystery. They kept him for 4 days, ran tests. Kidneys are fine, and not diabetic. But Hyperthyroidism test came back positive. ($500.00 vet bill !)
I brought him home today with a 20 pill bottle of Methimazole…give to him 2X daily they said, and bring him back
in 10 days for recheck of the T4. That visit will cost $91.00
I am in such a delima. Husband and I are on fixed income, but Wagner means the WORLD to us.
He is deaf and now he is blind. He walks around bumping into things and won’t even attempt to go upstairs to the bedroom where his favorite window and bed are.
He is eating and drinking..when I show him the way to the food bowls. Hasn’t used litter box yet…4 hrs since we brought him home. Sleeping on the sofa. I am scared to death to go to sleep tonight for fear that he will hurt himself if he does try to make it upstairs.
Does anyone else have this experience with a deaf and blind pet? Do they adjust? And will the hyperthyroidism exasterbate things? Will he tolerate the meds? Is there anyway I can get these meds cheaper? The 20 pill bottle was $15.00
Can anyone give me advice. I don’t want his quality of life to be non-existant. I am prepared to have him put down if it comes to that…but I do not want to.
We had to have our 20yr old tabby put down 4 yrs ago…and his 18 yr old sister 3 yrs before that.(neithe one of them had any hearing loss, blindness or Hyperthyroidism..)
So, that is why we adopted sweet Wagner.
I am at a loss. PLEASE can someone advise?
I am so so sorry to hear about Wagner. I always consider my cat’s quality of life before I make any rash decisions. Also how long they have lived. Did your vet advise you regarding the care of a deaf, blind cat?
Thank you Crystal,
No, our vet, who has been in practice for over 20 yrs said he has only seen maybe 10 cases of feline blindness. He didn’t/couldn’t advise about the blindness.
He only showed us how to administer the Hyper pill (which was NOT easy)..then said for us to make an appt for 10 days from now to check his T4 levels.
So, that is why I am reaching out to anyone who might have dealt with a blind kitty.
It was a very sleepless night last night. He slept with me in guest bedroom upstairs (which is his favorite place to sleep). This is a full 2 story old house..the stairs are STRAIGHT up, and he woke in middle of night…I knew he needed to eat or use litter box. So I got up with him and took him to litter box in upstairs bath (we have a ltter box in downstairs half bath also). He felt his way into the litter box, urinated, then felt his way along the hallway wall to the stairs and just sat there turning his little head back and forth. So I took him downstairs and he ate a bit, then back up to bed we went.
This morning same thing. He ate and is now asleep on sofa(after I helped him onto the little footstool to the sofa). We have always provided this stool because of his arhtritic right leg, and he is a very short-legged little kitty. He just isn’t hisself anymore.
Just take it one day at a time you will know what’s right.
Hello Alice,
It sounds like you have quite a job ahead of you. Poor Wagner and poor you! It is tough when our four-legged friends have trouble. I can totally relate to your financial situaltion as we, too, are on a fixed income. Our cat was also diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (my first post was June 23) and surgery was not an option because of the cost. We have been giving our cat bugleweed herb ($10/bottle which has lasted us over 2 months so far) and he is doing great. Unfortunately, I cannot help you when it comes to a blind/deaf kitty.
Thanks Diane and Crystal,
It is comforting to talk with othe pet lovers !
I actually found out that through the Walgreen Prescription Program ($20 annually) that we can get the very same med
-Methimazole- for $12 for 90 pills ! I told this to my vet and he said that he would match the price !! wow!!
Now, I am wondering if Wagners blindness , which came on so suddenly, is due to hypertension and not feline retianl degneration (hypertension goes along with Hypertyroidism)….and the hypertension can cause blindness. I have been burning up the Internet for the past 4 days..and found out a lot. The vet did not check his blood pressure..it takes a “special” piece of equipment that he does not have. So, on to a search in our area for someone who can do that.
I am sure the expense is way beyond our reach though. Short term the hypertension can be more dangerous than the Hyper, because it can affect the heart.
Diane, what is bugleweed herb ? And where can I get it if I want to try it…I assume it is natural/holistic? I would certainly try it !
Now, for some more good news ! He is SUCH a little trooper..in 2 days he has mangaged the stairs, up AND down, and finds his food bowl/water/litter box pretty easily now downstairs, after walking along the perimeter of each wall leading to the kitchen and bathroom downstairs. And he has been getting up and down from sofa with no assistance. And just tonight he went upstairs , (I followed him) to that fav bedroom of his, and low and behold made a flying leap from the floor onto the bed where he is asleep right now ! (I am downstairs) I just went up to check on him and he is still sound asleep on that bed ! yaaay !
I won’t give up on him yet,because he is not giving up on hisself !
Thank you two gals for giving me your attention.
Write again, please. I WILL be back ! :):)
Hello Alice,
We purchased the bugleweed at a local whole foods store. (1 ounce) by Herb Pharm. We have been using it for about 3 months and have enough for at least another three months, so it is very cost effective. I would call before making a trip, just to make sure they carry it.
Good luck
That is very very good news. I’m glad he’s adjusting it’s so nice that he’s able to be in a familiar place, cuz you know cats love routine! I’m using the resthyro with my kitty and it’s be inbeleivable how well she is doing. It’s a drop formula that has bugleweed in it. It’s easy for me to use because it’s one drop per two pounds of cat…twice a day. I drop it in a little bit of milk, and she laps it right up.
You can get it on line…but if you are giving your kitty medication for hyperthyroid, I’m not sure the bugleweed would be a good idea, as it might be too much in combination with.
I think the natural ingerdient formulas are supposed to be instead of the pills.
Maybe someone else can speak to this? Or check with your vet. Mine said that the resthyro was a great option since she knows how i feel about medications and my cat hates to go to the vet, just riding in the car traumatizes her totally.
Does this make sense to you?
Hugs from my kitties to yours:-)
Crystal
Hugs to your kitties too Crystal !
No, I would not give the Resthyro in addition to the Methimazole pills. He has only been on those for 3 days now,and it is a REAL chore to give them to him (he traumatizes easliy). I thought I would maybe try to wrap the (very tiny) pill into a sm piece of cheese tomorrow and see how that works, and since it has only been 3 days, I am watching for signs of his body rejecting the Meth (what an abbreviation for that pill, huh?:):)…if he starts vomiting or acting too spaced out/sleeping a lot more, then I will probably try the Resthyro.
Also, I read that hyperthroidsim can actually mask kidney probs., and once treatment for the Hyper kicks in, then the kidney prob can rear its ugly head…so another thing to watch for !
But my vet is ONLY going to check his T4 level in 10 days…said nothing about watching/testing the kidneys again (the original labwork showed his kidneys are fine..right now)…
SO..I am even thinking about getting a second opinion or changin vets. His T4 is 8.2. Is that really high? The vet said that is VERY high.
We have a Cat Clinic in our area…just saw it today in yellowpages.com. They treat only cats…so maybe a trip there, and to have his eyes looked at. His eyes have started to “seep” a little…never did that before. Maybe he has an eye infection or something? Our vet never examined his eyes ,except visually, and by dropping cotton balls onto the floor in front of his face to see if there was a reaction. And, after we left him there for 4 days, they gave 1 antibiotic injection, and 3 coritsone shots, and ran the blood/labwork.
Nothing on the detailed report says anything about an actual eye exam. He just immediately assumed/said it was feline retinal degeneration.
We had 2 cats that lived until 18 and 20 (4 and 5 yrs ago) and neither lost hearing/or sight and neither came down with Hyperthyroidism. I am beginning to think that cat food IS the culprit!
We’ve been feeding Wagner Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Liver..canned…for about 6 months, because he was so picky about everything else we tried over the years…went from cat food to cat food, and then bingo.. Pro Plan ! He LOVES it !
Right before we took our kitty in for the thyroidectomy we wondered if he had experienced hearing and/or vision loss. He still doesn’t seem to be hearing as well but appears to see well enough to know what I’m doing and recognizes bowl/food activity as opposed to say folding clothes. But I think the hearing is why he is staying in the basement and not venturing out, doesn’t feel safe enough w/o sounds. I ran the vacuum down there the other night and he didn’t even seem to notice. Then again he’s 18.
I wondered the same about the hypertension and hearing loss. The neem leaf I mentioned will slow a racing heartbeat and lowers blood pressure, but right before the surgery I couldn’t get him to take anything & the spazz activity was in overdrive so I’m sure the hypertension was too.
I have also noticed ‘weeping’ from the eyes in the last few weeks, though they have not looked inflamed or infected.
Next Monday I will be learning how to give subcutaneous fluids at home to manage the kidney disease. After trying a few kidney diet foods he goes ape for Royal Canin Renal LP pouches. Not cheap but none goes to waste & he has put on almost 3 oz in 4 days. He was about 9.5 lbs in 2007, bottomed out recently at 7.1 lbs.
It’s been good to read others’ experiences with their elder-kitties! Thanks for sharing everyone. Sending good thoughts to all the cats mentioned herein, by name and otherwise.
Hello Kitties and the people who care for them. We tried to work with a Triangle’s hyperthyroidism naturally, first with an animal communicator (who is also a people chiropractor and homeopath), and with a Holistic Vet. Her levels were about 7, but she is losing weight rapidly, down 1.2 pounds in 3 weeks – yikes. She lost her appetite. She is still hydrated. We tried her on organic wet GRAINLESS food, and eventually I will make her food, and/or give her raw, and hope she’ll eat it. In the meantime we started on the medication. Aside from weight loss and YOWLS that make her sound like she’s in pain, I don’t notice any other behavior changes. The Holistic Vet said she’s well hydrated, and he doesn’t see other issues – kidneys look good, etc. Has anyone else’s kitty had rapid weight loss? She is 15 and still playful and has a beautiful coat of hair, and very loving. Thanks, Marcia Mamaglee
Yup, Mantra had rapid weight loss but since the Resthyro has actually gained a few ounces back. The biggest change though has been that she is resting well, eating well, and not vomiting. The younger cat (Omega) is thrilled to have her back as she was always watching her when she was yowling.
Mangalee, is your kitty on meds now?
Yes, she just started the hyperthyroid meds. The holistic vet didn’t think Resthyro was the right choice for her at this time. His first line is not to use meds, but he felt it was indicated for Triangle now. He explained why, but I don’t have it sorted out enough to relay to the group yet. I’ll have to wait til my husband comes home to help me articulate it better! Glad your kitty is having such good results. Marcia
Today I took my 14 yr old cat Wagner to “the Cat Clinic” in our area for second opinion They specialize in geriatrics. The resident vet (Owner of the clinic) gave him an injection of Benzathene Penicillin,0.3cc and sent me home with 3 more syringes/vials to give him every other day until gone. (The woman was amazing) I want to know if this penicillin has any adverse side effects that you know of. (She said his gums/teeth are badly infected..need to come out..thats why the penicillin)….
As for his eyes, she examined and said his right retina had detached !! But the left eye looks pretty good ! And he “needs to eat”so she said to give him SOFT canned food (Pate), because he is underweight.
She also checked his B.P…and it was normal/high…(180.)
Going back in 3 wks for recheck of his T4 and kidneys.
This visit cost me $60…eye exam and BP taken at EVERY exam included..but I am satisfied that I have found the perfect place to take Wagner now !
I just want to know about the penicillin. Thanks so much !
P.S.
Found out something yesterday, after looking at Wagners recent and past paperwork thoroughly, I notcied that his weight said it was the same as 1 yr ago….7.6…I thought that was strange, so I weighed him myself (on normalold bathroom scale with me holding him..and it said barely 6 lbs. So I said, “self, the vet didn’t weigh him while they had him for 4 days???”…so on the phone first thing this morn to find out. Yep, they didn’t weigh him…used the same weight that “was on record”…..she said “its not really important unless they are getting vaccinated”……..HUH ????
I said, but he has hypertyroidism, isn’t it important to weigh each time I bring him in for recheck..because loss of an an ounce or two could be significant if they are losing it fast!”
She said…”well you can bring him in today and we will weigh him” I declined, got off of phone and made appt with the Cat Clinic. So, guess what…first thing they did was weigh him. He is 6.2 !
Ok, I’m done ranting about my EX vet !
I still would like to know about the penicillin.
Talk to all later ! This forum is fabulous !!!
P.S. again…
My new vet said the 5mg 2X a day of Meth is TOO much….My ex vet told me to cut them in half and give 2 halves a day when I called and told him that Wagner was spaced out all day/night sleeping round the clock.
The new vet said, “he is sick and underweight”, and since his T4 is 8, give him only 1/2 tablet once a day. She has tended to geriatric cats for 20 yrs, and she said that IF his T4 was way up..like 14-18, then it would be appropriate to give the 5mg a day, but not now.
She also said that after we’ve been on the meth for 3 wks, and after his recheck, then she will consider advising putting him on the ear gel..or even the drops…but yet, because the dosage has to be correct and decided upon after we see how the pills are doing.
His T4 AND BUN will be re-checked in 3 wks. (my ex vet was going to recheck ONLY the T4)…
Kidney disease can be masked by the hyperthyroidism, and after treatment begins, then the kidney probs can and often do surface. So, it is VERY important to keep checking the kidneys in the labwork.
Hi to all:
I have just read all posts for last year+. I thought you may be interested in my story and Sadie’s story. Sadie was born in my house. I owned her mother, Muffin. I lost Muffin at age 14, reason unknown. Sadie’s sister, Punkin, died of a stroke at age 16. Sadie turned 19 last April 5. Sometime before Sadie’s 18th Bday, she must have developed HT. I did not know for a long time, because I, too, thought it was old age. She was drinking excessive amounts of water and became a bag of bones even though she ate really well. Sadie had never been sick a day in her life, really! I was afraid someone would think I had starved my cat. After I had to board her at my Vet, they suggested I get her tested for HT. So I did and she was diagnosed positive. At first they gave me the pills (Methimazole). Sadie bit and scratched me and spit the pills out often. I looked on the net and found out about the twist pens to apply to ears and asked my Vet for them. They work great! You have to be patient with this med. Sadie threw up some at the start, but doesn’t anymore. I am big on diet for my cats and dogs. After reading some of your posts, I now wonder about the canned cat foods. Sadie’s teeth were bad and for a while all she ate was canned pate. I finally had her teeth fixed ($400). A couple of years ago, I had started a modified raw diet for my dogs-raw meat on best dry kibble I could afford. Sadie expressed an interest in raw ground turkey, so I gave it to her a little every now and then. Now she refuses all canned cat food and only will eat raw ground turkey with a little dry high protein food. She is doing very well. Not all symptoms have gone away, but she has gained weight and is very active and purrs a lot. She still drinks a lot and sometimes doesn’t go to litter box. For first 18 yrs. she always used litter box. In October she is due a check up on thyroid levels. Vet said of last checkup that she was at lower end of normal. I found this list because I was looking for another treatment instead of Methimazole. Because of her age and the uncertainty of the herbals, since Sadie is doing fine, I think I may just stay with what I am doing. I had a Tom to live to 18, so Sadie is the oldest cat I have ever owned and my money is on her making 20 at least.
Thank you for listening. Hope I help someone.
Hello, I just had to put down my 21 and half cat. He was diagnosed at 18 with CRF at 18 so I had been giving fluids three times a week for two years then we added azodyl and he had to go less. I guess my question is does hyperthroid come on quickly–It seemed only in the last two weeks he ate like crazy–and my vet said that is most likely what he has but said medicine for that would only put him at more uncomfortable point because he wasn’t throwing up all thes years.. So has anyone who’s cat that had CRF been told that hyper meds are not necessary. I had to put him down three days ago and he could jump and eat and drink, but he was down to 4 pounds (a ten pound cat). And it was suddenly that he begain eating to the point he couldn’t rest anymore. I just feel like I could of made the vet give him meds for hypreT—does it come on quickly? I feel so guilty–and everyone focuses on his age–but I feel like I didn’t act in his bed interest in the end.
At 21 it wouldn’t make much difference, honestly. So take it easy on yourself.
My vet did not recommend meds for my 14 year old because she would not tolerate the trips to the vet and frequent blood sampling, and the expense , so she recommended the naturopath way, and it seems to be working. At 21 I am sure she would have just suggested that I take her home and keep her comfortable.
Ilene, thank you for posting. My cat Booey sounds a lot like Sadie. She has never been sick and only last year did she have her first non-routine vet visit because of two bad teeth.
Booey is 19 and has gone from ten pounds down to six. The vet just put her on Methimazole but she just hates the pills. She won’t even acknowledge me for about an hour after she gets her pills. I am looking at getting the gel for her. Booey is such a picky eater, but loves her meat. I might try her on a more meat based diet. I’ve had my old girl since I was six and will do whatever I can to make her happy and healthy.
Just switched Gus back to Tapazole after 4 months on Resthyo. He initially seemed to make some progress but over time lost more weight and seemed “out of it”. T4 was tested three weeks ago. It was an astonishing 24 (this is the max the test can measure). As one poster indicated, Resthyro seems to be effective only in low level cases and even the homeopathic vets are treating with Tapazole. He has been back on it for 3 weeks and looks and acts like he did 5 years ago. I am not a big fan of western medicine but have to recommend Tapazole for HyperT (assuming your cat has a T4 level above 8-10).
Got the diagnosis this am, 10. Filled the script for Methimazole, read the posts here and decided to crush the pill in about a half a teaspoon of wet food with water. She lapped it up. Then put out the rest of her wet food dinner. I will watch for signs of overdose or allergic reaction. And hope that she continues to take the pills crushed up in food, since giving her any med orally is like being in a Jacki Chan movie.
If anyone knows of a reason not to crush the pills please let me know. Since the drug can be compounded in liquid or gel I thought why not crush it in food?
Keep up the good words, deeds and thoughts. Thanks
PLEASE DON’T FEED CATS UNCOOKED FOOD. THEY CAN GET PARASITES!!! NO FISH-ESPECIALLY SALMON IS VERY BAD FOR THEM. MAKE CAT FOOD FROM BOILED CHICKEN BREASTS. NO CAT FOOD FROM CANS, GRAIN FREE DIET, NO LIVER, & FRESH WATER.
Acid reflux can ruin a whole day!
My wife just bought Greenies Pill Pockets Feline with Natural Salmon Flavor that you can put a cat size tablet or pill into and close of the sides and your cat will eat it with no problems. Well, at least Chrystal our 13 yr Maine Coon who was diagnosed with feline hyperthyroidism takes her Tapazole pills now with no problems because we now put them inside these Greenies Pill Pockets we bought at Petco.
It was a nightmare for two weeks trying to get Chrystal to take her 2 5mg Tapazole tablets. We could not fool her with it in her food, which forced us to have to use our fingers to force it down her throat. She would run away when she saw us coming near her! We hated doing it. Then a friend told us about Greenies Pill Pockets and we bought them today and Chrystal loves them so far Tapzole pills and all.
No forcing it down the throat anymore! Just her munching on a Natural Salmon Flavored with the Tapazole tablet. She would refused all types of other food we tried to hide it in. But these pill pockets are soft and they have a hole in the middle and you can close of the ends. She eats it in two bites!
Chrystal has responded well so far to the Tapazole and has gained 2lbs. She was 9lbs and now she is about 11lbs and looks more healthy. I am going to start giving her feline natural supplements for liver and kidneys.
For all those who are having any difficulty trying to give your pet pills, I hope this information has helped. I know each owners situation is unique I hope these Greenie Pill Pockets work for you.
I am no expert tho I have spent countless hours on the internet researching feline leukemia, FIV, feline cancer, feline hyperthyroidism & various cheap vet meds as well as natural meds.
I did have a cat ,that long ago, I had the radioactive iodine treatment on. After the expensive surgery I do not feel I was advised cautiously enuf by my vet. You then have to monitor their ?calcium level I think. I now doubt I would ever put a pet thru that, as the organ was placed their by God for a reason, and outright removal of something so necessary seems wrong, in retrospect.
I also had my Seashell on methimazole for a few years until she finally became ill with kidney issues. She did well on the pills, took them well, tolerated them well and they really helped her. You should go back for periodic rechecks of course.
I now have much less money, but many rescued cats & I have to get by with playing triage, going by my gut & experience much of the time to treat whatever is wrong. This is not a choice, and many have been with me too long to give to anyone else, plus we are family!
I now have a very skinny young man, my Cody, who lost much weight after curing him finally, of a very bad upper respiratory illness with herbs. He never could quite gain his weight back. Then I began seeing the constant hunger, drinking too much, howling, etc enuf to know it is hyperthyroidism. I have tried Pet Alive with no success for over a month, tho this company has a hefty guarantee, thank God-because I have no spare funds for mistakes or do-overs. I have had much success with their C caps for cancer, immune builder. I next ordered Resthyro and ear mite meds from PetwellBeing, who says they guarantee “responsibility”: whatever that is suppose to mean. Only if a product has never been opened is it returnable. The teensie bottle of ear mite medicine was so small I nearly missed seeing it in the box that came. It was very expensive and could barely treat one animal, tho they claim to me it should treat 1-2 animals for 3mos-NO WAY! I am still seeing if Resthyro will kick in, so far-Nothing, tho it has only been a couple of weeks. His appetite is still insatiable, still drinks a lot, howls & vomits a/t’s. If not, as with the ear meds, I am just out my money! I am heavily thinking of trying methimazole. I had some left from my Seashell & it seemed to help him, but we ran out and no refills.
Another interesting and possibly helpful, more natural help for all kinds of ill animals, cats and dogs is a site that has a “Pet Harness” you can buy with magnetic healing points that will go over certain parts of your ill animals body to heal it. I know that some of this type of treatment has been proven to work! I am quite sure there are testimonies. I know the vet who has this site has her own amazing testimony of her elderly very ill dog that she treated with the harness and her pooch lived another ?3yrs I think! The site is:
http://www.holisticvetpetcare.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=holisticvet1&Category_Code=CA1
It is Gloria Dodd, DVM If you look on the left you will see healing halter & replc parts. Hope this helps. I have not personally tried this yet, tho hope to one of these days.
[…] Hyperthyroidism in Felines? « The Outrageous Ramblings of the … […]
Whew. I’m saddened to find that Hyperthyroidism is so common. I hadn’t ever had any experience with it. My Chloe, 13-15 years old was just diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism last week. She has had a kinda rough past couple of months. Her first symptoms were diarrhea lasting for almost a month and a half, which oddly enough stopped after I decided on a whim of mine to switch her food (suspecting food allergy) from Science Diet CD to simple kitten chow. After MANY vet visits and many wrong diagnoses and treatments; severe hairball, Giardia, bacterial infection, etc. They decide to finally test her blood, and they now say hyperthyroidism. But, after how they’ve handled everything, and ignored me half the time about insisting something is wrong, I wonder if I should get a second opinion. I’ve used trusted this vet since I was a small kid. They wanted to go ahead and schedule for the radio-iodine, but I decided to go with Tapazole which I haven’t started her on yet. I can get enough money saved up for the Radio-Iodine, but I worry about side effects. She has had bladder stones before (struvite) and had surgery, and I wonder if this can have any effect on that. We’ve had to take her off the Science Diet Perscription food permenantely because of the diarrhea even though she has been on the food for 6 years or more. I’m so worried at her age to have such a procedure done on her even though everything claims it’s safe. Then again I’m so worried about the Tapazole. I really don’t want to make her worse. She has been living at my mom’s for a year and a half without me after I moved out. Long story but she has always been a stressed kitty and the vet worried that if I parted her from her dog buddy, Charlie, she might have seperation anxiety, which she suffers from anxiety anyway if there is even the slightest change in her life. I’ve decided to move her in with me so I can be with her while she’s sick, so hopefully she won’t have any adverse effects. Would it be a waste of mine and her time to get a second opinion? She has some of the same symptoms of hyperthyroidism but no one has explained to me how if switching her food stopped the diarrhea is still hyperthyroidism. Not to mention she has been licking her belly bald and inside her legs for the past 8 months, symptom? She also had a couple of days last month where she looked like she had an allergic reaction (face swollen, weeping eyes etc.). Also she rated a 7 on her test, 5 being normal, and I wonder if that IS truly high? I’m thinking of at least taking a copy of her records to another vet for an opinion. I’m so worried that she has something else wrong I don’t know about. The poor angels don’t need to suffer so much. Please pray for my Chloe baby. God bless you all and your fur-babies. Any opinions would be appreciated.
AMB,
By all means, GET A SECOND OPINION! My precious cat Booey, had hyperthyroidism and I took her to three different vets. Booey was 19 (weeks away from 20) and I weighed the options of medicine and the radio-iodine shot. I even spoke with a friend of mine’s aunt, who is a vet. Every vet had their opinion, but I trusted the two who said I should try the medicine first. Unfortunately my girl passed a few months later of what we think was kidney failure.
It’s obvious how much you love Chloe, so I would encourage you to seek a second or even third opinion. The RI shot is extreme, so I personally would consider that as a last resort.
I wish you and Chloe the best and will be praying for guidance for you and comfort for Chloe. God bless.
Mr. Grimsby (about 7 yo) has just received a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. It seems to have struck him much younger than all the other cats here, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
The vet started him on 5mg of Tapazole per day. He was okay the first couple of days, then started throwing up everything he ate (and some things he didn’t!). After 3 days (Monday was a holiday), I phoned the vet and told him Mr G had to come back in – the Tapazole was making things a lot worse. I also told the vet that he had a rash above his right eye. The vet disagreed; said it was a puncture wound. Despite misgivings, I accepted his diagnosis – never again! I know my cat – the vet doesn’t. More about this later. Aargh!
Anyway, they kept him overnight to get a urine sample (Mr. G has a very, very tiny bladder). This stressed him out even more – I hate to think what his blood pressure would have measured when I finally got to take him home! Those test results were very good – thank heavens.
They switched us to the transdermal gel. I put it in his ear on Friday morning and he immediately started throwing up again. He also developed a rash over the other eye. I was so desperate last night that I went on-line and found Ask an Expert. The vet I got was Dr. Bob from Akron, OH and he was absolutely wonderful. We discussed the idea of quartering Mr. G’s dosage for a week or so and see how he acclimatizes. If things go well, I’ll up the dosage to half. And if Mr. G continues to do well, I’ll get him to full dosage in about 3-4 weeks. I am hoping that starting him on the medicine gradually will help him adjust. If not, it’s on to Plan B, C or D.
Oh, and I phoned the vet this morning to ask for a recommendation for an herbal, non-toxic cream to soothe the itching. Remember that I told the vet about this on Wednesday. Today, the vet suggested that, “Perhaps he’s having an allergic reaction to the medicine”. The pamphlet they gave me with the Tapazole lists side effects as: lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, facial itching. Again, according to their brochure, the first 3 symptoms can be alleviated by gradually introducing Tapazole; the fourth one will never clear up. I am now using camomile infused towlettes misted with tea tree oil and aloe vera that I got from the pet food store.
Depending on how things go with Mr. G. I’m planning to try Monte’s diet from Diane. It sounds quite promising and easy enough to manage – if Mr. G will eat the food, that is. Wish us luck!
Best regards,
Phyllis Harber-Murphy
My 14/15yr old boy ‘Shandy’ was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 3 weeks ago. After researching on the internet, I decided I didn’t really like the side-effects that often seem to be associated with Methimazole and came across Carbimazole (Neomercazole). Carbimazole converts to methimazole after it leaves the stomach so it is basically not so harsh and nausea/vomiting are minimised. I specifically had to ask the vet for it. Vets in the UK aren’t licenced to dispense this human drug anymore but can write a prescription for a ‘human’ pharmacy to dispense it since the licenced veterinary carbimazole drug ‘Vidalta’ must be taken whole (impossible with my cat!) however Neomercazole can be crushed. ‘Shandy’ did have a bad few days initially even though I started him on a low dose of Neomercazole (5mg daily) and went off his food but then, his appetite started to pick up and he has now put weight back on. All has been fine for the past few weeks – the vet initially prescribed 3 x 5mg (total 15mg) tablets daily but I felt this was too much for him considering the way he started off, so I gradually built up from 5mg to 10mg daily but now he’s had some kind of reaction and is itching a lot, especially in his ears. I have decided to lower the dose again and see how we go. We live in the UK. I believe you can obtain Carbimazole in the U.S. – even in a transdermal gel – lucky you, we seem to have no compounding pharmacies here in the UK so we have to settle for pills only. Unfortunately this is the only option because his kidneys aren’t in great shape to take any operation or iodine treatment. Once I hopefully get him stablized again on the lower dose of Neomercazole, we will go back to the vets again for another T4 blood test.
I’m very glad to have found this board. My almost 13 year old cat, Ender, has always been overweight. At his last routine vet visit a little over a year ago, he weighed in at nearly 16 lbs. In July a friend of mine who was visiting and hadn’t seen him in 2 years remarked that he was thinner. I weighed him on my digital bathroom scale and he was 13 lbs. I thought that was great, and remembered that he had definitely been more active and playful than he used to be. To me, a loss of about 2 lbs in 6 months seemed healthy.
Today he weighs 9. NINE. He won’t eat his dry food at all, begs for canned food and then when he gets it, he eats a few bites and then walks away. He begs even if there’s wet food in bowl. His meow has changed- he’s normally a vocal cat but the past few weeks it’s been insistent and strained, as if he’s in pain. He’s also been really cranky and swats at my husband’s legs when he walks by. I notice that he’s not sleeping as much, and never sleeps with us on our bed anymore.
I have an important question for those of you who have posted your cat’s T4 levels: when your cat was tested and the levels were over 12, how long had it been exhibiting symptoms? I wonder because Ender was living with my mother in law in FL for about 3 months while I was in NYC looking for work. When I returned to FL to retrieve him and bring him to live with my husband and myself in NYC, he was literally fur and bones. She said she was feeding him constantly but insisted his disposition was fine and that he seemed really healthy and happy. I was sure there was something wrong but he was eating just as he always had (he was always a piggy!) and wanted just as much as attention so I chalked it up to stress from not living with me for 3 months (he was born in my bedroom closet and has lived with me ever since).
We have been living here for 3 weeks. I literally just started work and can’t afford a vet this month because of all the moving costs and the fact that my husband hasn’t started working yet. I want to spend the $50 on Resthyro today, to ease his discomfort and hopefully help him get better, but am afraid that in all my hours of online research, and even though he exhibits almost every symptom of HT (he hasn’t had diarrhea or tremors), that my not being a vet and diagnosing him myself is a fool’s mistake. However I am terrified of losing him, and especially of him being in pain, of starving, and being depressed. I want to do everything I can but I also have to set limits, i.e., I can’t afford to lose my apartment or power over him. How much will a vet typically charge for the visit and blood tests? In FL I used to pay a cat-only vet upwards of $200 for the visit, checkup, shots, etc. Apparently there is no such thing as a vet who lets you pay according to your income.
I’m losing sleep over this, and am on the verge of borrowing the money so I can take him to the vet, even though it could take me a few months to pay it back. Am I going to harm him with the Resthyro if I get it now without a proper diagnosis? I’ve researched the ingredients and *I* feel comfortable with it, but has anyone’s vet told them not to give herbs to a cat for an undiagnosed illness?
Thank you,
Wendi
My best friend of 17 years, my Shadow, also has Hyperthyroid. Its been managable, even at his advanced age. The methimazole works for him, even though he has had a sensitive system in the past – he tends to be very sensitive to medication side effects, but he responded well to a gradual increase, and now is on a regular dose. In his case, the transdermal creme was not a reliable enough dose. Shadow also gets a GRAIN FREE diet, which I think has been instrumental in his overall health. No more vomiting, and his coat and overall health is exceptional. Other than the Thyroid issue, his bloodwork is the ‘bloodwork of a 7 year old, not a 17 year old’ according to my vet. I use EVO foods- both dry (salmon and herring) and wet (duck). I will also be looking into the naturopathic methods, but I have heard that the methods are less successful in older cats (13+) so since the Methimazole seems to work just fine I will be working with that and maybe trying to lower the dose with the help of other methods.
Hello to all the furry friends out there and their people. It’s 2:38 am and I’ve just finished reading everyone’s stories and my heart goes out to you all. Many of your stories have brought me to tears, many have made me laugh and all have been inspirational and given me hope of finding the right course for my now quite little love. My thanks and heartfelt good wishes to you all. I really don’t need a vet to confirm the diagnosis of HT for my honey-boy Merlin (although we’ll be heading to the vet on Monday anyway). I can feel the enlarged gland on the left side of his neck and he exhibits all the symptoms of the disease. Many thanks to you all for without this forum and other research I wouldn’t have known where to look or what I was dealing with. But when I picked up my formerly 18 lb.+, 3 ft long baby (no he’s not a Maine Coon) and he felt lighter than my youngest and smallest girl baby Maya, I was shocked.
Ever since I brought him home with me as a tiny 9 week old kitten, Merlin has always had a very healthy appetite and a very healthy opinion of himself to go with it, hehe, definitely an Alpha-Cat! I will be surprised if he weighs over 10 lbs now. I’m just sick that I’ve been too busy trying to climb out of a deep financial hole to be home enough to realize that he’s literally starving to death right in front of me. No wonder (here lately) it always sounds like he’s screaming at me. It makes me even more sick, that money (or the lack of it) and lack of time, has kept me from making more regular visits to the vet and caused me to sacrifice on food quality. The last three years have been more than difficult and there have been times when the only way I could put food on the table for any of us was going to food banks and applying for food stamps. God only knows how we’ve made it through, but we have and for that I am truly grateful.
Like many of you, we have been struggling with a greatly reduced budget and so cost effective and locally obtainable supplements will definitely be included in the overall approach. I can absolutely attest to the effectiveness of the homeopathic approach in combination with western based medical treatments. “Little” Merlin came to be my loving companion just over 14 years ago and was considered by the family of his cat-mother to be the runt of the litter. In fact, he had to be bottle fed because his litter mates kept kicking him out at feeding time. ?Not the Merlin I became bewitched and enchanted by. My landlady at the time commented that I would never have to wonder what was on his mind, and truer words never were spoken. So how did he get to be 18+ lbs. and three feet from nose to tail? He got the best quality organic, corn and by-product free foods I could afford on a starving student budget (I love you, Trader Joes!!!) I knew less than nothing about taking care of baby kittens, but my landlady had 4 cats and she loaned me a book called “The New Natural Cat”, by Anitra Smith and I read it cover to cover and took my little bundle of joy to the vet for a well baby check-up and advice on flee treatment as well. In the book was a recipe for a holistic, natural supplement in dry mixture which included brewer’s yeast, soy lethicin and a number of other dry organic ingredients sprinkled on his wet/dry food, Trader Joe’s premium organic wet and dry foods and, of course, plenty of fresh water. Unfortunately, in the past couple of years we’ve had to make some sacrifices and substitute less quality foods occasionally and tragically the results of that are also equally evident. So back to natural organics for good!
In the past couple of weeks as I’ve been been researching Merlin’s symptom’s and looking for some answers, I’ve come across a couple of other homeopathic treatments not mentioned on this forum. One is something called Natrum Muriaticum, a solution which includes common table salt and no list of other ingredients was detailed on the web site. This report is from a veterinarian, Dr. Peter Dobais, and he claims to have treated a number of HT kitties, including his own. Here’s the address to his website http://www.peterdobias.com. Has anyone heard of this Vet or of this treatment. Another site suggested a nutrient supplement called Nupro Health Nuggets. It is available in a formula for both cats and dogs and has a ingredients which help to support digestion, combat allergies, strengthen the immune system, stops itchy-dry skin, repels fleas and more. It couldn’t hurt and a 1 lb. container is priced between $9.99-$14.59, so it’s not extremely expensive and is available through several web-sites. On http://www.entirelypets.com, it’s listed on sale presently for $9.99.
Thanks to everyone again for your stories and for taking the time to read this. I would welcome any feedback on either of these products and look forward to hearing from others about the progress of their furry loved-ones.
Warmest regards,
Cathy C.
San Francisco Bay area
Just started our cat Kaycee on Resthro tonight.
He’s 13yrs. old and was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism.
He’s was down to 6lbs. when weighed at the vet.
We started him on Hills Prescription Diet a.d. per vets request, and seen improvement right away. They also prescribed methimazole.
After doing alot of research I opted to try the natural way before the meds- because of all of the side effects.
I will update as often as possible on the use of Resthro.
We will be going back to the vet to keep an eye on the T4 levels, Kidney function & Heart within the next 3-4 months( unless needed before).
Keep him in your prayers as I will keep all of yours in mine ❤
Thank-u for this site 🙂
Update on Kaycee on Resthro… 3 drops- 2 times a day-12 hrs apart(10am & 10pm) mixed in with a little wet food, let him finish it & then 1/4 can with some dry food mixed in it.
Went from 6 – 6.2 pounds in the first day.
It’s a start 🙂
Started grooming again & getting better rest…I’m so happy for my little guy.
Hoping the diarrhea will stop from adding the boiled chicken & water(plain) once a day. He really loves the chicken water..gobbles it up.
Hills Prescription Diet a.d. 1/4 can 4 times a day. As much dry food as he will eat(which is not much) Purina Cat Chow for all ages.
Well that’s my regiment, I’ll stick to it unless there are any changes.
I will keep you all updated ^-_-^
Heather, how is your cat doing on the Resthro? My cat has been on the methimazole for 3 years and I am thinking of making the change to the natural product. She does OK on the Meth., yet she needs more as time goes on. Just wondering how your cat is doing?
Hi Laura,
Kaycee is doing well on the Resthro.
He hasn’t gained any more weight as of yet, but has not lost any either.
I’ve kept him on the food regiment I explained in my last post and he eats very well without vomiting.
My only real concern lies with his heart rate, as it remains high 😦
It’s been 3 weeks and 4 days since starting Resthro.
I’m happy with the results so far and hope they continue to progress.
I’ll be taking Kaycee back to the vet within the next couple months to check his T3 &T4 count.
I’ll make sure to post the results after.
Thank you and have a great day 🙂
Heather
Hi Heather
I posted in this forum a while ago and have a 16 yr old hyperthyroid cat who has been on Neomercazole (Carbimazole) for well over a year now. He has done so well on it and T4 levels are at the lower end of the reference range, where it should be.
I noted your comments about your cats heart rate and would urge you to look at alternative treatment due to the strain on the heart. Sounds like your cat’s metabolism definitely needs slowing down.
I have only tried Carbimazole as I believe it is a little kinder on the stomach. He also gets a few drops of liquid Vitamin B daily along with taurine and ipakitine in his food In order to help his kidneys because unfortunately CRF often runs in tandem with Hyper-T and of course, old age, in felines.
I cant believe I finally found someone/people who feel my pain. I have been struggling with my cats hyperthyroid for almost two yrs. First I tried something herbal and it wasnt helping and then I tried the gel methimazole and it just got worse and then they up the dose and got even worse….weight loss, vomiting, hair loss, skin irritaions, bumps, hair scabs everywhere, diarhea, constantly hungry/thirsty, crying all the time and she wont use the litter pan. I stoped the meth all together and she actually seemed better after awhile, her hair grew back and skin irritation subsided. I decided to try another herbal remedey and that didnt work. I was about ready to give up and then I found Resthyro and I have been giving her that for about 2 months. I give her two drops a day in a small amount of wet food. I also mix in a vitamin with enzymes. I dont give her too much at a time because she gulps in down and causes her to vomit. She hasnt gained weight back but she rarely vomits, her hair is thick and healthy and her stool is solid but she still wont go in the litter pan she goes next to it on newspaper but will urinate in the litter pan?? I have been waiting to take her back to the vet because they told me that nothing herbal was going to help her and hoping she will gain weight before they check her again so they can see how much better she is doing. Thank you for all the advice. I am going to try a different diet and see if that helps her gain weight.
Good luck to all of you and your kitties 🙂
.
~Correction~ The Resthyro dosoge I give my cat is two drops sometimes three, twice a day, it goes by your cats weight and its been three months or more since I have started using it. It has saved us both. I was about to lose my mind with the diarhea and I notice if she misses a day it does make a difference. You have to keep up with a schedule everyday. I definately think its worth a shot to try it if you havent tried it yet and give it at least 3 to 4 wks to really see the changes.
Update on Kaycee…
He weighed in at 6.8 lbs. today
He was 5.8lbs…I’m so HAPPY 🙂
Luvin the Resthro so far! (it’s been 1 month & 4 days)
TTYS
Update on Kaycee…
Weighed in at 7.2 lbs. today 🙂
Eating like a champ and getting back to his old self
I’m so glad we tried the Resthro, it gets better with time
It’s been 1 month & 9 days
TTYS ❤
Hi Heather, Thanks for posting your kitty’s progress. I am happy for both you and your kitty. I just started my kitty on Resthyro April 1. What are you feeding your Kitty? Mine is on the Hills K/d diet. My cat is also on the Tripsy for Kidney health (also from Petwellbeing) and his last check up was pretty good. He goes back to the vet next week (week of April 15, 2012) and I am anxious to see if there has been any change since adding the Resthyro.
Hi! Can HT cat take tuna (local can food bought fr petshop)? Will the phosphrous & Iodine be too high for HT cat?
You should speak to your vet before giving to your pet. You don’t want to jeopardize your cats progress.
Feeding your cat a different diet isn’t necessary if on the right medication. Mine takes .25 Methiazole twice a day and has gained 2 pounds to 10 pounds, a perfect weight for him.
Glad to hear your cat is doing good on the medication.
Sometimes we have to do other ways because the fact is alot of cats are allergic to medications givin for hyperthyroidism. Thank-u for your story and best wishes 🙂
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We had to take our Lilly to be put to sleep today – 15 years old, hyperthyroidism (on Tapazole), bladder infections, would stop eating for days at a time until the vet put her on antibiotics. Much weight loss. Every time we took her off the antibiotics she got worse again. We should not have taken her off of them – this time she got sick and would not eat. Got very weak. Seizures. Tried everything we could. Had a very bad seizure today which led us to opt for putting her to sleep. Just be very careful of how you treat this disease – it is very serious in older cats. I wish we had gotten input from multiple vets and understood more about her lab tests which the veterinarian never explained well. She only lived about 6 mo past the diagnosis but maybe we caught it too late :(.
Good Morning everyone. I want to especially express my condolensces to Stacie on her loss of Lilly on 6/15/13 and other feline parents who have lost their babies to dreadful diseases. I have 6 kitties. In Oct 2012 our Pepper lost his battle with hyperthyroidism, heart failure, kidney failure. I have been doing a lot of research and talking with Veterinarians. I am now totally convinced that our feline babies simply are not eating correctly. As of late April 2013, we stopped feeding our cats and 2 kittens dry food. Why? Cats are carnivores, they eat meat in the wild. Dry food has so much that cats simply can not process. I also watched a video on youtube: (search under) Cat Health and Cat Food: Marc Ching Interview I’ve noticed they’ve dropped excessive weight. One of my cats dissolved a bladder stone that was the size of a marble. He was eating Royal Canin. Please watch the video if you can. Take good care of your feline babies and learn all you can about Dry vs Wet for cats. You’re all very special because of your love for your pets. I feed my cats 2x per day (every 12 hours)
My cat, Snowflake was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism also. I found an easy way for him to take the Methinazole pill is to place it in a small chunk of goat cheese. The cheese has a strong flavor and a crumbly consistency, so he doesn’t even notice the pill, and if I forget to give it to him at night at 8 he reminds me by meowing by the refrigerator! I asked myy vet about this, and he said the goat cheese was a good idea.
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Further to my previous comments, sadly my 18 year old darling lost his battle earlier this year due to heart failure associated with Hyperthyroidism and CRF. We managed for 3 years with the condition and I somehow think that was pretty good going, especially when dealing with a fussy eater that needed twice daily meds. This involved crushing Carbimazole tablets and mixing with wet food (after doing my own research, I ended up persuading my vet to prescribe Carbimazole as opposed to Methimazole.as I had read it was a little kinder on the stomach due to the way it is synthesized in the body. He had 2 wet meals a day – as much moisture as possible in the diet is so important with this condition. Unfortunately, in between meals he did get some Hills K/D biscuits since he loved his biscuits so much but if I could have avoided dry food I would have. The wet meals would also contain drops of (pet safe) liquid Vitamin B drops which are great for the kidneys (almost always affected by hyperthyroidism), and because the wet food was not a kidney diet due to his fussiness, I added Ipakitine which is a phosphate binder and aids the kidneys. Regular addition of very small amounts of probiotics and electrolytes to his food was also done with the latter helping to balance what was lost by excessive drinking due to the CRF (Note: T4 & geriatric blood tests were done to check all these levels and that what I was giving wasn’t having any adverse effect…in fact, his levels remained in the normal reference ranges).. I also invested in a pet water fountain which he loved to drink from. His weight remained fairly stable in the latter stages which is always a good sign. Vets still don’t seem to know what the cause of HT is, I have heard various theories, such as it could be the chemical used to line tinned cat foods, to cats eating more fish in their diet which contains too much iodine (regrettably, years ago he used to get prawns on a regular basis, which he adored but I fear I may have inadvertently contributed to his illness). I hope this information helps anyone a little who may be struggling with this dreadful disease.. Naturally, what worked for my boy may not work as well for others so please do your own research and of course in consultation with your vet.
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Hi …. My boy Buster is almost 18 years old. He has always been in very good health until about a year ago. He has a constipation problem and the vet suggested that I change his food to something with more fibre in it 10%. He has never wanted to eat wet food and sticks to his dry food. He was better at first, but now a year after he still has the constipation problem and has not been diagnosed with hyperthyroid and has now been on Methimazole for two weeks. The vet seems to think that this his constipation problem had to do with this. But yesterday he had such a hard time in the litter box. He was up all night trying, but nothing happened. He is a special food that is recommended to protect his kidneys. Have any of you experiencing this problem with their kitty? I want him to be around forever, but don’t want to be putting him through too many tests and procedures. thank you!